Rhön Mountains

The Rhön Mountains are a group of low mountains in central Germany, located in the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia. They are the result 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 6000 km (3750 miles) of tracks through the picturesque scenery, and gliding enthusiasts have been drawn to the area since the early Twentieth century. More recently, farmstays have been flourishing in the region.

In 1991 UNESCO declared the Rhön a Biosphere Reserve on account of its unique high-altitude ecosystem.

Peaks

The peaks of the Rhön include:
*Wasserkuppe 950 m (3110 ft), (Hessian Rhön)
*Kreuzberg (mountain) 928 m (3040 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
*Schwabenhimmel 926 m (3040 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
*Heidelstein 913 m (3000 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
*Milseburg 835 m (2740 ft) (Hessian Rhön)
*Feuerberg 832 m (2730 ft) (Bavarian Rhön)
*Ellenbogen (mountain) 814 m (2670 ft) (Thuringian Rhön)

External links

* [http://www.rhoen.de/eng/ Rhön tourism portal]
* [http://www.biosphaerenreservat-rhoen.de/englisch/indexengl.html Rhön Biosphere Reserve website]
* [http://www.rhoenklub.de The Rhön hiking club (in German)]
* [http://www.fulda-osthessen.de White pages and websites of Fulda and the Hessian Rhön (in German)]
* [http://www.360-rhoen.de 360º virtual tour through the Hessian Rhön (in German)]
* [http://www.orchid-rhoen.de Orchids of the Rhön, with much information the local flora (in German)]