Rhön Mountains
(Redirected from Rhön)
Meadows with masses of Pulsatilla vulgaris
Cypripedium calceolus in a pine forest
The Rhön Mountains are a group of low mountains in central Germany, located in the states Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia. They are the product of ancient volcanic activity and are separated from the Vogelsberg Mountains by the Fulda River and its valley.
These mountains are a popular tourist destination. Hikers come for the nearly 6,000 km (3,750 miles) of tracks through the picturesque scenery, and gliding enthusiasts have been drawn to the area since the early Twentieth century. More recently, farmstays are flourishing in the region.
Since 1991, UNESCO has declared the Rhön a Biosphere Reserve on account of its unique high-altitude ecosystem.
The peaks of the Rhön include:
- Wasserkuppe 950 m (3,110 ft), (Hessian Rhön)
- Kreuzberg (mountain) 928 m (3,040 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
- Schwabenhimmel 926 m (3,040 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
- Heidelstein 913 m (3,000 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
- Milseburg 835 m (2,740 ft) (Hessian Rhön)
- Feuerberg 832 m (2,730 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
- Ellenbogen 814 m (2,670 ft) (Thuringian Rhön)
External links
- Rhön tourism portal
- The Rhön hiking club (in German)
- white pages and websites of Fulda and the hessian Rhön (in German)
- 360 degree virtual tour through the hessian Rhön (in German)
- Orchids of the Rhön, with many informations about Rhön's nature (in German)
Categories
Mountain ranges of Germany | Volcanoes of Germany | Hesse
