Döbraberg

Views of the snow-capped Döbraberg from east

The Döbraberg - or short Döbra - is with 794.6 meters above sea level. Sea level, the highest elevation in the Franconian Forest. It is located in the Upper Franconian district of Hof in Bavaria.

Origin of the name

The Döbraberg said in earlier centuries Culm. Later the mountain was named after the village located on the eastern slope. Döbra probably comes from the Slavic word Dobratsch (do prac = wash ), making the mining of ore-bearing rock was called washing. In some publications the mountain is only called Döbra.

Geography and Geology

The Döbraberg is located in the Franconian Forest nature park on the boundary of the city Schwarzenbach am Wald, whose main town is located west-northwest of the mountain. At its Ostnordosthang is the eponymous district Döbra.

On the East of Döbraberg shows rather flat, often free slopes that reach far down into the valley of Selbitz. To the south and west are pretty steep, mostly forested slopes that descend into the valley of the Wild Unterrodach. From Döbra from the mountain summit is easily reached in about ten minutes.

The geology of the Döbraberggipfel of hard chert.

Tourism

On the top of the mountain is the airy Prinz-Luitpold- tower, 18 m high observation tower. With its own height, the 800 - m mark is exceeded. The tower was built in 1902 by the Franconian Forest Association. Next to the tower there is a small shelter for hikers.

The panoramic views from the Döbraberg ranges in the east by the Ore Mountains to the heights of the Fichtelgebirge. In the south you can see the Radspitze. On clear days you can look up to the same mountains. In the west and north you can see the heights of the Thuringian Forest, for example, the whetstone at the transition to the Franconian Forest.

In winter, the Döbraberg and its surrounding area is a popular area for cross-country skiers.

On the western slope of the Döbraberges there is a fairly steep downhill run into Rodachtal, which was formerly used for ski racing. Due to lack of snow, it is rarely passable. At the upper end of the slopes is the hut of the mountain rescue service. The ski slope is now also used by mountain bikers.

In summer there is also extensive mountain bike trails, which can be approached by means of the Franconian Forest -Mobil specially appointed from outside.

On Döbraberg intersect some trails of Franconia Forest Association:

• Francigena
• Ecksche the eastern trail
• The Wasserscheidenweg
• The European long-distance hiking trails E3 and E6
• The Radspitz - Döbraweg
• The Dr. Koehl - way
• The Spitzenpfeilweg

Have a nice trail around the Döbraberg offers the following route:

• From the valley of the Unterrodach over the Jägersteig to Schwarzenbach am Wald and on the southern outskirts continue to Döbraberg.
• From Döbraberg made ​​to use the trail with the blue H and runs to Rauhenberg and Unterrodach source.
• Along the Unterrodach one comes to the Bischofsmühle past back to the starting point.

Others

On Döbraberg operation since 1961, the U.S. Air Force radar station. Since the 1960s, also soldiers of the German Air Force were stationed, 1974, the facility was officially adopted by the Bundeswehr. The located on the ridge spherical dome structures give the mountain a unique look and are an already visible from a distance feature. Because of the proximity to the border of the GDR this radar station was at the time of the Cold War important as part of the air defense system of NATO. A large part of Döbrabergkuppe was reported as a closed military zone. Meanwhile, the station has lost importance, but is still used, even for civilian air traffic control.