- Geography of Württemberg
Württemberg , a hilly rather than a mountainous region, forms part of the South German tableland. The undulating fertile terraces of Upper and LowerSwabia typify this agricultural region. Estimates of landform proportions count a quarter of the entire area as plain, less than one-third as mountainous, and nearly one-half as hill-country.*Average elevation above sea level: 1640 feet (500 m)
*Lowest point: Bottingen 410 feet (125 m), where theNeckar leaves Württemberg
*Highest point: the Katzenkopf 3775 feet (1,151 m), on the Hornisgrinde, on the western borderOrography
The chief mountains include the
Black Forest on the west, theSwabian Alb or Rauhe Alb stretching across the middle of the area from south-west to north-east, and the Adelegg Mountains in the extreme south-east, adjoining theAlgau Alps inBavaria . The Rauhe Alb (or Alp) slopes gradually down into the plateau on its southern side, but on the north it appears sometimes rugged and steep, its line broken by isolated projecting hills. The highest summits, the Lemberg 3326 feet (1014 m), the Ober-Hohenberg 3312 feet(1009 m) and the Plettenberg 3293 feet (1004 m), lie in the southwest.To the south of the Rauhe Alb the plateau of
Upper Swabia stretches toLake Constance and eastwards across theIller into Bavaria. Between the Alb and the Black Forest in the north-west lie the fertile terraces of Lower Swabia, which continue north-eastwards intoFranconia .Hydrography
About 70% of Württemberg belongs to the basin of the
Rhine , and about 30% to that of theDanube . The main river, theNeckar , flows northward for 186 miles (300 km) through the area to join the Rhine, draining with its tributaries (notably the rivers Rems, Kocher and Jagst) 57% of the former state of Württemberg. The Danube flows from east to west across southern Württemberg, a distance of 65 miles (100 km), a small section of which crosses through formerHohenzollern territory. Just aboveUlm the riverIller , which forms the boundary between Bavaria and Württemberg for about 35 miles (56 km), joins the Danube. TheTauber in the north-east joins theMain ; the Argen and Schussen in the south flow into Lake Constance.The lakes of Württemberg, except those in the
Black Forest , all lie south of the Danube. The largest is theFedersee (2.6 km²), nearBad Buchau . About one-fifth ofLake Constance forms Württemberg territory.Mineral spring s abound; most famously at the spa ofWildbad , in the Black Forest.
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