The Rhön Mountains or simply the Rhön, also called the Land of Open Distances (Land der offenen Fernen), is a low mountain range of volcanic origin in Central Germany. It covers an area of about 1,500 km², straddling the states of Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia. Its highest mountain is the Wasserkuppe, whose summit reaches 950 m above sea level (NHN). The Rhön is one of the southernmost ranges of the German Central Uplands. The Rhön's harsh climate, its geography and the fact that it found itself on the borders of different territories until the division of Germany, are factors that all leave their impression on this wild and rather remote region. Today it is increasingly becoming a tourist and holiday destination.
The Heidelstein, between
Bischofsheim an der Rhön in the
Bavarian county of
Rhön-Grabfeld and Wüstensachsen in the
Hessian county of
Fulda, is a 925.7-metre-high border mountain in the
High Rhön, part of the
Rhön Mountains, a range in the German
Central Uplands. The Heidelstein's actual summit in Bavaria and is sometimes also called the Schwabenhimmel.
On the Heidelstein is the Heidelstein Transmitter and a commemoration site for the Rhön Club. On its northwestern slopes lies the source of the
Ulster (river) and, on the western slopes, is the
cross-country skiing centre of Rotes Moor.
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In the heart of the mountains is the High Rhön, a range of mountains of volcanic origin. Around it, especially to the north and west, rises the so-called Kuppen Rhön, formed predominantly of Bunter sandstone and pierced by basalt cones. Also counted as part of the Rhön, but not geologically related, are the surrounding hills made of different rocks. The orographic boundaries of the range orient themselves on the major rivers - the Fulda, Werra, Franconian Saale and Sinn. The outer belt of hills includes the South Rhön which is geologically more related to the Spessart hills.
(to 35 East Hesse Highlands)
(to 13 Mainfranconian Plateaux)
(to 14 Odenwald, Spessart and South Rhön)
This is a list of the main towns in the Rhön.
Bad Brückenau · Bad Kissingen · Bischofsheim an der Rhön · Fladungen · Gemünden am Main · Hammelburg · Mellrichstadt · Ostheim vor der Rhön · Rieneck
Geisa · Kaltennordheim · Meiningen · Stadtlengsfeld · Wasungen
c. 5th century BC - 1st century BC |
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744 AD |
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to 10th century AD |
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1096-1583 |
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Middle Ages |
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1814/15 |
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from 1885 |
Construction of railway branch lines in the Rhön | |
1935–1944 |
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1938 |
Creation of Wildflecken Training Area | |
1949 |
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1990 |
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1991 |
The A7 motorway grazes the Rhön to the west and the A71 in the extreme east. A network of federal highways ( Bundesstraßen) runs through the heart of the Rhön. There were once several branch lines in the Rhön; only the Fulda–Gersfeld railway is still working as a normal railway, whilst the Mellrichstadt–Fladungen railway is operated as a heritage line.
The following bus and rail services serve the Rhön:
In addition to the motorways, the following major roads cross the Rhön:
Adalbert Endert: bishop, Andreas Fack: composer and author of the Rhönlied, Otto Feick: inventor of the Rhön wheel, Adalbert Geheeb: botanist, Moritz Goldschmidt: biologist, Franz Kaspar Lieblein: botanist, Ludwig Nüdling: local poet, Johann Heinrich Valentin Paul: Rhön Paulus, Christian Schreiber: philosopher and poet, Karl Straub: writer, Erwin Sturm: local historian, Joseph Vonderau: local historian
In the course of the last two centuries opportunities for recreation have been developed, beginning with walking. Both sporting and cultural activities are widespread and varied. In particular, skiing has become popular in winter.
This is the category tree for articles related to the Rhön. Sub-categories, where they exist, may be opened and closed with the arrow symbols.
This list contains the names and interests of members or those interested in the Rhön Portal.
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This list contains links, that may be useful in creating Rhön-related articles:
Rhön ·
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