Mountains in Hesse

Hesse has the low mountain ranges. The term "mountains" is perhaps a bit annoying in this context, because when we think of mountains we think of high and steep. Some mountains in Hesse are also low. The highest mountain in Hesse is located in the Rhine plain, is 950 meters high and is called Wasserkuppe. This means that the highest mountain in Hesse is in the province of Kassel. The Taunus and the Großer Feldberg, which with a height of 879.5 meters is the highest mountain in southern Hesse, are located in the Darmstadt administrative district. In the Gießen district are the Vogelsberg (also a low mountain range) and the 773 m high baptismal font. It is the highest mountain in Central Hesse.

The Wasserkuppe and other mountains in the Rhön

Let's take a closer look at the Rhön. It is a mountainous landscape that stretches across three federal states: Thuringia, Bavaria and Hesse. The highest mountain in Hesse, the Wasserkuppe, is also located here. The second highest mountain on the Rhine is the 928 m high Kreuzberg. It is a place of pilgrimage and is located in the Rhön-Grabfeld district. It is also known as the “Holy Mountain of the Franks”. The next mountain is the Milseburg, at 835 m one of the most impressive mountains on the Rhine with a spectacular view. For this reason it is also called the pearl of the Rhine. Between Frankenheim and Reichenhausen lies the 813 meter high Ellenbogen (yes, that's what it's called), while the Pferdeskopf is an 875 meter high mountain near Poppenhausen and the southwest arm of the Wasserkuppe.

However, the Rhine mountains are not steep and can be skied in winter. Sailing is very popular in the region. The mountains were formed millions of years ago. The mountains were once volcanoes. But don't worry, these volcanoes no longer erupt and you can hardly tell that they were volcanoes anymore. The border between the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR also ran across the Rhine. The Rhone is also famous for its sheep, the Rhone sheep.

Großer Feldberg in the Taunus

The Feldberg in the Taunus is the highest mountain in the southwestern Hesse plain. The altitude varies, but all are around 880 meters above sea level. The summit is at 879.5 m. But other heights were also measured. The Feldberg massif includes the Großer Feldberg and the not-so-small Kleiner Feldberg at 825 meters. Both are part of the main Taunus ridge, also called Hochtaunus.

Langenberg in the Rothaar Mountains

Langenberg is located at an altitude of 843 meters in the Rothaar Mountains. It lies on the border between Westphalia and Hesse.

Baptismal font in Vogelsberg

It is 773 meters high and is located in Vogelsberg in Hesse. At the summit there is a tower dedicated to the German Chancellor Bismarck and was built in 1910.

Kasseler Kuppe in the Fulda-Werra mountains

The Kasseler Kuppe is located north of the Hoher Meißner and is part of the Frau-Holle-Land nature park. The Kasseler Kuppe is part of the Meissen plateau, which is covered by forest so that there is no visibility.

Desert garden in the Kellerwald

The Kellerwald is also a low mountain range in Hesse. The Kellerwald is one of the largest beech forest areas and is home to Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. The Kellerwald is located in the northern part of Hesse, in the districts of Waldeck-Frankenberg and Schwalm-Eder. The Edersee and the Affolder See are also located here (see also Hessian Lakes). The highest mountain in the Kellerwald is the Wüstegarten at 675.3 m.

Other mountains and low mountain ranges in Hesse

The Hölberg, sometimes also called Höllkopf, is located in the upper Westerwald and is 642.8 m high. The Westerwald is divided into three main regions or natural units: Hoher Westerwald, Oberwesterwald and Niederwesterwald.

The highest elevation in the Hessian Odenwald is the Neunkircher Höhe at just over 600 meters above sea level. The mountain is located in the Vorderen Odenwald. This part of the Odenwald is located mainly in Hesse and in the south in Baden-Württemberg. The Vordere Odenwald is characterized by mixed deciduous forests.