German for a prominent mountain near a populated place
Salzburg, a city on the edge of the Alps. Two (of several) Stadtberge may be seen in the middle of the Old City (the
Festungsberg and
Kapuzinerberg). Behind: one of the two Hausberge, the
GaisbergMount Lee, Hollywood, one of the best known Hausberge in the world thanks to its
Hollywood SignSugarloaf Mountain, Pão De Açúcar, Rio, an iconic Stadtberg
Hausberg (lit.: "house mountain", plural: Hausberge) is German for a prominent mountain or hill in the immediate vicinity of a village, town or city, usually located on its municipal territory, but outside the built up area. It means something like the "local mountain" or "local hill" closely associated with a settlement by its population. A hill within a town or city itself is usually referred to in German as a Stadtberg.
A Hausberg forms a backdrop to its home settlement and also offers a prominent viewing point looking over the settlement. As a result, many have
cable cars or
gondola lifts to transport visitors to the top. "Hausberg" is also a proper name of numerous mountains and hills in German-speaking countries.
A Hausberg does not have to lie within a town's municipal boundaries: The
Pfänder, the Hausberg of the town of
Bregenz in
Austria, is in the municipality of
Lochau and the highest summit of the
Pilatus, the Hausberg of
Lucerne, is just outside the
Canton of Lucerne. There is a national border between
Geneva and its Hausberg, the
Salève in
France.
Examples
The following list contains a selection of well-known Hausberge (with heights):