The High Fichtel MountainsFrom Paleozoic to Quaternary: A Field Trip from the Franconian Alb to Bohemia edited by Ludwig Zöller. Retrieved 28 Jan 2014. (), or High Fichtel,Travel Munich by MobileReference. Retrieved 28 Jan 2014. form a mountainous and heavily forested range consisting of several mountain chains in the shape of a horseshoe, the Fichtel Mountain Horseshoe (Fichtelgebirgs-Hufeisen), that rings the Selb-Wunsiedel Plateau.
As a natural region the High Fichtel Mountains are major unit 394 within the major unit group of the Thuringian-Franconian Highlands (39), that run from the Thuringian Forest to the Fichtel Mountains.E. Meynen and J. Schmithüsen: Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands – Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Remagen/Bad Godesberg 1953-1962 (9 issues in 8 books, updated (1960) 1:1,000,000 map with major units) Since September 2010 there is a new system for classifying the natural regions of northeast Bavaria, whereby the natural region of the High Fichtel only covers the central mountain region of the Scheeberg, Ochsenkopf and Kösseine, whilst the Waldstein ridge, the Steinwald and lower parts of the horseshoe represent special subordinate natural regions of the Fichtel Mountains.
Geography The High Fichtel Mountains begin in the northeast at the Kornberg, continue via the Waldstein, Schneeberg, Ochsenkopf and Königsheide in the southwest to the Kösseine, then over the Steinwald and Reichsforst to the Kohlwald in the southeast.
In the geomorphological division of the neighbouring Czech Republic, the Aš Hills (; ), the Hazlov Hills (Haslauer Hügelland or Hazlovská pahorkatina) and the Cheb Hills (Egerer Hügelland or Chebská pahorkatina) are counted as part of the (High) Fichtel range.Smrčiny (Fichtel Mountains)
Geology Geologically the mountain range consists mainly of granite. The history of its orogeny begins in the Pre-Cambrian about 750–800 million years ago – covering almost 20% of the earth's history, something which only applies to a few of the surviving ranges of the truncated Central Uplands of Germany today.
Mountains The mountains of the High Fichtel include the following, sorted by their elevation in metres (m) above sea level (NN): MountainHeight (m) RemarksSchneeberg 1,051 Highest mountain in the Fichtel range, Haberstein (923 m) on its southwestern slopesOchsenkopf 1,024 Winter sport, chair and drag lifts, Weißmainfelsen (906 m) on the eastern slopesNußhardt 972 Seehügel 953 Ahornfels (910 m) on southwestern slopePlatte (Steinwald) 946 Kösseine 939Subpeak of Kleine Kösseine (922 m)Platte (Schneeberg) 885 Burgstein (Kösseine) 879 Burgsteinfelsen at 869.2 m, Luisenburg Kreuzfelsen (785 m) at northern footGroßer Waldstein 877 Winter sport, cross-country skiing trailsRudolfstein (Schneeberg) 866 Rock formation at the summit and Drei Brüder formation (850 m) 500 m to the southwestHohberg (Königsheide) 863 Winter sport, drag liftsWeißenstein (Steinwald) 863 Bergkopf (Waldstein) 85725 m high () graniterock formation of Hoher Stein at northeastern footHaberstein (Kösseine) 848 Großer Kornberg 827 Winter sport, drag lift and cross-country skiing trailsHohe Matze 813 Prinzenfelsen (751 m) rock formationEpprechtstein (Waldstein) 798 Winter sport, cross-country skiing trailsLehstenberg 768 Schauerberg (Kösseine) 767 Schauerberg (Schneeberg) 732 Armesberg 731 Rabenberg (Schönwald) 713 Pfaffenberg (Schönwald) 710 Steinberg (Reichsforst) 705 Ruheberg (Reichsforst) 692 Summit region is a nature reserveWenderner Stein 686 Teichelberg 685 Fürstenstein (Fichtel) 675 Výhledy (German: Oberkunreuthberg) 656 BrunnenhausSieben-Linden-Berg 643 Winter sport, drag liftZelená hora (German: Grünberg) 637 transmission tower, viewing towerKohlberg (Kohlwald) 632 observation towerGlasberg 628 Dreifaltigkeitskirche KapplDietzenberg 626 Lehenbühl 620 near KonnersreuthElmberg (Reichsforst) 618 Gossenbühl 616 Konnsbühl 613 near Konnersreuth
Settlements
Bischofsgrün Brand (Oberpfalz) Erbendorf Ebnath Fichtelberg Goldkronach Konnersreuth Mehlmeisel Nagel Neusorg Schönbrunn Sparneck Tröstau Warmensteinach Weißdorf Zell im Fichtelgebirge
Lakes and rivers
Transport Marktredwitz railway hub B 303 and B 15 federal highways A 93 and A 9 motorways
References
Sources Fritsch Wanderkarte 1:50.000 Fichtelgebirge-Steinwald,
External links BfN - landscape fact file Hohes Fichtel Mountains