Thuringian Forest

The Thuringian Forest and its immediate surroundings; the peninsula -like into the foothills of Southeast Schiefergebirge Masserberg Crocker and plaice are also highlighted.

Falkenstein at Tambach- Dietharz

Dep1

The Thuringian Forest in the broader sense is a 150 km long, 35 km wide, up to 982.9 m above sea level. NHN high and wooded mountain range in the Free State of Thuringia ( Germany ).

Thuringian Forest in the narrower sense is it only the northwestern part, which extends as a ridge mountains just to the south-east of Neustadt am Rennsteig. The to 867 m high mountain range southeast of the line Lichtenau - ( Schleusegrund ) - Schönbrunn - Gießübel - Old Field - Mitre is called contrast Thuringian Slate Mountains.

The main physiographic units Thuringian Forest and Thuringian Slate Mountains are part of the Thuringian- Franconian low mountain range, which continues to the southeast to the Fichtelgebirge.

• 2.1 Northwestern Thuringian Forest 2.1.1 rivers
• 2.1.2 mountains

• 2.2.1 rivers
• 2.2.2 mountains

• 2.3.1 rivers
• 2.3.2 mountains

• 2.4.1 Rivers and Lakes
• 2.4.2 mountains

• 2.5.1 Rivers and Lakes
• 2.5.2 mountains

• 2.6.1 Rivers and Lakes
• 2.6.2 mountains

• 2.7.1 Masserberg and Crocker plaice
• 2.7.2 Lock -Horst and Vesser complex

• 3.1 Eisenach trough
• 3.2 Ruhlaer saddle
• 3.3 Oberhofer trough
• 3.4 Small Thuringian Forest

Geographical location

Thuringian Forest and Thuringian Slate Mountains run like a mountain range of the Werra River in the northwest to the Franconian Forest in the south-east, the south-eastern part of the Thuringian Slate Mountains is the natural area, but it is commonly understood separately for historical reasons from him. Largely They form the watershed between the rivers Elbe and Weser in the north (Werra ) and Rhine ( Main) in the south. Large parts of both mountains are shown as Thuringian Forest Nature Park.

The Thuringian Forest in the strict sense extends approximately 70 km in a northwest-southeast direction. The maximum extension of the northeast-southwest ridge mountains is in the north near Eisenach to 7 km, at the interface to the Slate Mountains at Mitre 14 km. In contrast, the southeast subsequent Thuringian Slate Mountains on a planar shape. Despite the differences between the two mountains of the better-known term is the Thuringian Forest to the entire mountain chain used as a tourist designation often. Over the entire ridge leads the Rennsteig.

The highest mountain of the Thuringian Forest is the Great Beerberg ( 982.9 m). The next higher mountains are snow head ( 978 m), the Great Finsterberg ( 944 m) and the Big Island Mountain ( 916.5 m). Well-known mountains are also the Kickelhahn ( 861 m) on the northeast and Great Hermann Berg ( 867 m), Rupp mountain ( 866 m) and Eagle Mountain ( 849 m) at the Südwestabdachung of the comb.

→ These and other mountains can be found in paragraph Thuringian Slate Mountains and the Thuringian Forest of the article List of mountains in Thuringia

About two-thirds of the Thuringian Forest, including the complete southwest flank, drained to Werra and thus to the power system of the Weser. In this case, lock, hazel and the slightly smaller Schmalkalde almost pure Thuringian Forest Rivers, while the Hörsel, apart from the extreme upper reaches, only the left side fed from the Central Mountains.

From the Gera drain only 2 double - spring arms on the Unstrut of the Ilm only the upper reaches of the mountain range to the Saale and thus to the power system of the Elbe.

From the following river systems, the Thuringian Forest clockwise, starting in the southeast, drained:

Lakes

The following reservoirs are located in the Thuringian Forest (again, analogous to the rivers, ordered clockwise):

Northern Slope

The Thuringian Forest abuts to the north- east on the natural spatial feature unit group Thuringian basin ( with edge plates ). Part of it is abgedacht by the actual ( Muschelkalk ) edge plates, partly by red sandstone between countries and sometimes it goes directly into the Thuringian Basin. The inclines follow in their direction of Eichenberg -Gotha - Saalfeld fault zone, they flanked in the north, some distance from the Thuringian Forest.

In the far northwest near Herleshausen the Thuringian Forest is only separated from the valley of the Werra from Ringwood, whose board of the Werra continues right on Hainich. One extremity of this plate represent the Hörselberge that the Thuringian Forest near Eisenach beyond the Hörsel are over. They are assigned to the West Thuringian mountain and hill country whose heartland is already considered part of the Thuringian Basin.

Between the Thuringian Forest and Hörselberge to Eisenach pushes southeast of the sandstone ridge of Waltershäuser foothills, along the line Mosbach - adjacent George Thal - Seebach - Tabarz - Friedrichroda. Between the Apfelstädt and its tributary Ohra the Thuringian Forest at Gräfenhain is immediately adjacent to a flattish part of the Thuringian mountain and hill country and thus to the Thuringian basin itself.

From Luis valley over Gräfenroda and Geschwenda up to Geraberg the border of the Thuringian Forest to the Ilm -Saale- Ohrdrufer plate pulls; to the southeast, the red sandstone of the Pauli Zellaer foreland pushes between both natural areas and touches the Thuringian Forest of Elgersburg over Ilmenau to Mitre, where the Thuringian Forest finally merges into the Thuringian Slate Mountains.

Southern slopes

To the southwest of the Thuringian forest of red sandstone mountain countries abgedacht, the boundary largely follows the Passau - Ibbenbürener fault zone. In the northern half of this are located on the right of the Werra Werra Unger parts of the salt mountain country, which is attributed to the main unit group Osthessisches Bergland. Further south, the South Thuringian Buntsandstein Woodland joins, which occupies most of the main unit Southern foothills of the Thuringian Forest, which, like the Thuringian Forest and Slate Mountains, is expected to Thuringian- Franconian highlands. However, this assignment is not without controversy and due mainly to the outline structure of the former Federal Institute for Regional Studies. The Thuringian State Office for Environment and Geology ( TLUG ) waived on an assignment to the main unit groups and also attracts a slightly different boundary between salt Unger Werra Bergland and the actual foothills of the Thuringian Forest.

The boundary line of the Thuringian Forest to the red sandstone foreshores approximately follows the line Herleshausen - Unkeroda - Schweina - Trusetal - flea Seligenthal - Steinbach- Hallenberg - Suhl - Waldau. Thus Schmalkalden and Schleusingen lie just outside of the Thuringian Forest.

Boundary line for Slate Mountains

The boundary of the ( Middle ) Thuringian Forest to the ( High ) Thuringian Slate Mountains follows on the Werra- side the valley of the sluice upstream of sluice basic Lichtenau to ( sheath basic) Schönbrunn, continue to the Neubrunn. From the northern settlement boundary Gießübels it runs after the Old field and from there to the freight station Neustadt / Giller village in western United Breitenbach, from where it the valley of Talwassers ( " Ilmsenbach " ) and the upper Wohl Rose on Möhrenbach by Mitre follows.

So just in the Middle Thuringian Forest therefore include cold perennial head ( 768 m ), sulfur head ( 774 m), cabbage Chop (790 m), cover ( 811 m), Reischelberg ( 821 m), Silberberg ( 771 m) and Rear fire head ( 721 m). By contrast, the Simmersberg - edge peaks Hohe Warth guide (718 m), Schnetter mountain ( 757 m) and Holzberg (740 m ) at the crest of High floor ( 766 m) and in the north finally Silberberg ( 694 m) and Long Mountain (809 m ) is already the High Thuringian slate Mountains one.

The exact geological boundary follows the valleys mentioned, however, only approximate. According to her, for example, the High Warth would be located as a single peak of the mountain massif Simmer still in the Thuringian Forest and the summer mountain ( 756 m) as the West summit of the sulfur head already in the Slate Mountains.

Nature regions

The Thuringian Forest in the narrower sense is divided along the ridge line into sections - on the one hand due to geological transitions (see below), on the other hand orographic through perpendicular to the ridge running, some deeply incised river valleys, one of which perform the main passes over the mountains.

Geographically, is about 70 km ² engaging, maximum 470 m reach northwestern spur Northwestern Thuringian Forest from a total of about 850 km ² of the Middle distinguished Thuringian Forest, whose altitudes exceed everywhere 600 m .. This breakdown in the manual of the biogeographic division of Germany and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN ) corresponds to that in innerthüringischen system The natural areas of Thuringia Thuringian State Office for Environment and Geology ( TLUG ).

The northeast flank of the ridge Mountains is drained by the subjects in the upper Hörsel to Werra and by the by Apfelstädt / Ohra, upper Gera and Ilm to the Saale, the Gera after they commenced the combined with the Ohra Apfelstädt, selects the detour via the Unstrut. The southwest flank drained the opposite ( from northwest to southeast ) initially smaller direct inflows and continue on the subjects of Schmalkalde, hazel and lock the Werra.

According to the first main ridge runs along the watershed between Hörsel and Middle Werra and hits until later in the Elbe-Weser watershed.

Northwestern Thuringian Forest

The Northwestern Thuringian forest represents the outermost spur of the mountain dar. His reach altitudes greater than 470 m and hardly exceed the south-west followed by red sandstone foothills, but the relief is pronounced. Are known in particular the Dragon Gorge and the Wartburg.

East of the natural area extends north to Erbstrom Creek ( Little ) Mosbach along with the same name place in the center and south is the border of Western and follows the main road 19, which flanks the upper reaches of the valley Elte between William and Etterwinden. Bedrock is the Eisenach Rotliegend ( Permian conglomerates and sandstones ).

The north drained by smaller streams such as the Red creek and the creek Löber to Hörsel, the south over (mainly right ) Streams to Elte as Heidel Bach and Bach Fromm.

Mountains

• Big Dragon Stone (470 m)
• Hirschenstein ( 463 m)
• Eichberg (454 m, south)
• Stiebel hilltop ( 448 m, west)
• Wartburg ( around 390 m, north)

Ruhlaer Thuringian Forest

The north-western part of the Middle Thuringian Forest to the north of the Rennsteig located Ruhla, the south-east to the provincial road 1027 Schwarzhausen - enough bathroom love stone along the valleys of Esme and Kallenbach / Grumbach, stands on the bedrock of the Ruhla Crystalline with granites, gneisses and mica schist. A pronounced ridge line in the center is not visible; Instead, the summit of the watershed to approximately match both the northeast and southwest, the Rennsteig heights of 700 m and above.

The northeast is drained via the Erbstrom and left Emse inflows to Hörsel, the southwest over Schweina and right Kallenbach / Grumbach inflows to middle Werra. In the far south -west rises the Elte, but the northwestern Thuringian Forest and its southwestern foothills drained in the main, before they flow to the Werra.

Mountains

• Birch Heath (717 m, just south of the Rennsteig )
• Hunchback (702 m, Rennsteig nearby)
• Width mountain ( 698 m, north Ruhlas )
• Kahle Koppe ( 690 m, east Ruhlas )
• Wind Mountain ( 671 m, southern slopes of birch heath ) - on a southern slopes is Altenstein Castle
• Kissel ( 649 m, ​​in forest fish)
• Höllkopf (646 m, Rennsteig southwest Ruhlas )
• Ringberg ( 639 m, north-west Ruhlas ) - Alexander Tower ( AT)

Brotteroder Thuringian Forest

The section of the Thuringian Forest to the south of the Rennsteig located Brotterode, which follows the order Ruhla and extends to the southeast to Tambach- Dietharz is geologically homogeneous than the order Ruhla. It is through the valleys of reeds water and Schmalkalde following country road in 1026 Friedrichroda - flea Seligenthal, located on the Kleinschmalkalden amidst mountains, cut into two segments and through the valleys of Apfelstädt and flea creek country road in 1028 George Thal - flea Seligenthal, at the Tambach- Dietharz is cut into two segments, the fuse at the flea flea creek estuary in the south. In the north of the eastern segment is Finsterbergen.

In this section, a comb is clearly recognizable, and the order of the first follows the watershed between the middle Werra and Hörsel, to the southeast between the rivers Werra and Unstrut and Saale and between the basins of the Elbe and Weser. This ridge line is shifted by the towering volcanic ( porphyry ) Big Island mountain considerably to the north. South of the island mountain stands at the opposite yet old basement, in the southeast of valuable Hühnberg - dolerite was in the area of ​​Ebertswiese previously mined.

The western north drained by tributaries of the right Emse and on Lauchagrund, bathing and left reed water inflows to the upper Hörsel; the northeast over left Apfelstädt inflows as the splitter Bach facing the river, continue on the Unstrut the Saale.

The south drained by Steinbach / Grumbach, Brackenbrook, Truse, Schmalkalde and right flea Bach tributaries to the river Werra.

Mountains

• Big Island Mountain (916 m, Rennsteig north Brotterodes ) - transmitters, various tourist attractions
• Mean altitude mountain ( 836 m south of the Ostsegments, just southwest of the Rennsteig )
• Cold heath (831 m, Rennsteig east Brotterodes )
• Seimberg (803 m, south Brotterodes )
• Spit mountain ( 749 m, ​​Rennsteig in Ostsegment )
• Big White Mountain ( 747 m, Rennsteig with Dreiherrenstein northwest Brotterodes )
• Rennweg head ( 730 m, west Brotterodes )
• Gerber 's Stone ( 728 m, Rennsteig in the extreme northwest ) - viewing platform
• Evil mountain ( 713 m, north, south of Tabarz )

Tambach - Oberhofer Thuringian Forest

Federal highway 247 by Luis Thal On Oberhof and Zella- Mehlis to Suhl, which follows in the north of Ohra, in the south a section along the Lichtenau and finally the lower reaches of the Mühlwassers, together with the good 10 km north-west parallel L 1028 separates a section of the Thuringian forest out of, is cut out of the south, through virtually any public road, and only in the south - in the flea Seligenthaler districts Schnellbach and Struth- Helmershof, the Steinbach- Hallenberg suburbs Rotterode, Unterschönau and Oberschönau as well as the city of Zella -Mehlis - is inhabited.

The guided by Rennsteig Elbe-Weser watershed reaches southwest to west Oberhof at several points to 900 m, but is hardly dissolved in individual mountains and therefore has pronounced ridge character. Known as the mountains are rather the southwest of the ridge line of towering Big Hermannsberg and Ruppberg (see below), which are also popular as destinations. In the Northeast, which flattens more gradually, are two of the three large reservoirs of the Thuringian Forest (see below). Furthermore, located here in Falkenstein probably the most famous rock formation of the mountain.

Rivers and Lakes

The northeast flank drain right tributaries of Apfelstädt, especially the narrow water, and left tributaries of the Ohra, especially the core water, over ( Apfelstädt, ) Gera and Unstrut the river Saale. The Apfelstädt is jammed in the dam Tambach- Dietharz to a small, narrow water and Ohra dam in narrow water and Ohra dam to larger reservoirs.

In the south of the drain on the silence of the Schmalkalde flowing Asbach and out of the compartments of the hazel the streams / rivers Schwarza, Häselbach, Lichtenau and Bach from Albrecht to Werra.

Mountains

• Protect mountain ( 904 m, main ridge southwest Oberhof )
• Pommern (901 m, main ridge west Oberhof )
• Burnt stone ( 897 m south of the Rennsteig, north of Zella- Mehlis )
• Donnershauk ( 894 m, main ridge in the center of the section )
• Schmalkalder Loibe ( 886 m, main ridge to the west of the section )
• Big Hermann Berg ( 867 m, south-west flank ) - City Steinbach Hall Mountain, AT
• Rupp mountain ( 866 m, south-west flank ) - City Mountain northwest of Zella- Mehlis, AT
• Big Book Mountain (813 m north of the main ridge and southwest of the dam Schmalwasser )
• Krämerod ( 765 m, main ridge in the extreme northwest, at 1028 L )
• Black head ( 749 m, ​​extreme south southwest of Zella- Mehlis )
• Seal mountain ( 734 m, extreme north-east south-east Luis valley )

Gehlberger Thuringian Forest

The national road 4, upstream of Ilmenau Manebach to Stuetzerbach the Ilm / Lengwitz and in the further course follows on forging field and Schleusingerneundorf after Hinternah nearby, separates ( as ) the section of the Thuringian Forest out together with the north-west parallel B 247, of the three highest mountains plus the fifth highest mountain in the Middle mountains and contains the seven highest peaks by far. Inside this segment are the only places Gehlberg north and the small Vesser south of the Rennsteig, but also forging field and the Suhl Northeast foothills Goldlauter- Heider Bach extend far into this section to the Federal Highway 71 and the railroad crosses under the north- west ( Rennsteigtunnel, Brandleite tunnel ). The northeast flank is by the main road of Gehlberg after Gräfenroda segmented on the northern edge along the Wild Gera.

Unlike in the northwest subsequent section of the Thuringian Forest, the comb is no longer exclusively dissolved as such near the Rennsteig, but carries thereon volcanic ( porphyry ) cone ( Finsterberg, Spitzerberg ) and double cone (snow head and Big Beer Mountain ), which is almost 1000 m reach. The branching off to the northeast flat back rapidly to below 800 m, while the horseshoe-shaped massif of Mount Eagle also significantly southwest of the Rennsteig remains noticeably above. In the far south is the Vessertal.

Location (wrought box ) and mountain names ( Eisenberg ) remember that this region once lived to no small parts from ore extraction.

Rivers and Lakes

The north is drained via the Lütsche (plus dam Lütsche ), its outfall Wilde Gera Gera and the Tame mainly on the Gera Unstrut and Saale; the free stream to the east is the opposite, a source stream of the river Ilm, which flows to the Saale directly.

The southwestern flank drained in the west over the volume of hazel, in the main, however, alder (along with dam Erletor ), Breitenbach, Vesser and Near in the compartments of the lock - and the farther into the Werra.

Mountains

• Big Beer mountain ( 983 m, north-east Rennsteig Suhl ) Wild head ( 943 m, west-north- west summit ) Summer Stream head ( 941 m north of the Wild head )

• Vicious circle ( 967 m, South Summit ) - mountain inn decorations on the southeast side
• Spruce Head ( 944 m south of the vicious circle )
• Sachsensteinblick ( 915 m southeast of the vicious circle )
• Goldlauter mountain ( 874 m, south-east of Spruce Head, connection Summit Big Finsterberg )

• Small Finsterberg ( 875 m, north-east summit)

• Salzberg (866 m, West Summit )

• Neuhäuser hill ( 892 m, East)
• Eagle Mountain ( 849 m, south-east summit) - AT, restaurant
• Big Erleshügel ( 839 m, north peak )
• Ringberg ( 746 m, north-west foothills ) - Ring Mountain House ( Hotel)
• Big Dröhberg (730 m, south-west summit)

• Pfanntalskopf ( 868 m, north peak ) - Rennsteiggarten Oberhof

• Eckardtskopf (815 m, east of Oberhof )
• Hohewarte ( 776 m, northeast Oberhof, but district francs grove )
• Seal mountain ( 734 m, the northern edge southwest of Crawinkel ) Kienberg (720 m, north-west foothills southeast Luis valley )

• Rumpel mountain ( 799 m, north northwest Manebachs ) Hohewarte ( 765 m, north-east summit) - AT

• Deer head (772 m, south-east summit)

• Sturmheide (620 m ) east summit in the west of Ilmenau

• High Beech ( 748 m, central)
• Silbacher hilltop ( 627 m, extreme south)

• Beggar head ( 703 m, north Gehlbergs )
• Arles mountain ( 655 m, the northern edge of west Arlesberg )

Ms. Wald- Neustadt Thuringian Forest

The southeastern part of the Thuringian Forest in the narrower sense is to the northwest by the B 4 (see above), to the southeast by the interface to the Thuringian Slate Mountains along the rivers Talwasser limited ( with Ilmsenbach ) and Neubrunn / lock. Inside are Mrs. Forest ( just south of the Rennsteig ) together Allzunah ( am Rennsteig ) in the west and Neustadt am Rennsteig in the east and Oehrenstock in the north; Stuetzerbach extends from the western edge, just north of the Rennsteig, from inside. The few the section be cut roads follow the Rennsteig ( country road forged box -Neustadt ), ridge ( county road by forests Waldau on the southern edge, perennials head back) or stream valleys ( county road Stuetzerbach - Ilmenau - Fork Bach).

The main ridge along the Rennsteig achieved in many places 800 m and significantly higher, however, remains the highest and by far the most famous mountain of Kickelhahn (see below) at the (western) northeast flank. It is striking that, apart from Kickelhahn, all branching off to the northeast and southwest back have a clear basis in the comb area and - apart from the steep drop at the interface to the forelands - Remove very evenly and equally weak to the altitude. It remains to southwest facing back just below the 800 m mark. The separating valleys are sometimes clammy like, particularly the valleys south fork of the Rennsteig.

Rivers and Lakes

The Northeast drained by the subjects of Ilm ( Lengwitz, fork Bach, Schorte, Schobse and Wohl Rose along with left tributaries of the Talwassers ) to the Saale, the southwest over Nahe, Trenkbach, lock, fork, fir and right tributaries of Neubrunn from the subjects of the lock to Werra.

This lock, fork and fir at the dam Schönbrunn be dammed one of only three large reservoirs of the Thuringian Forest (in the narrow sense).

Mountains

• Kickelhahn ( 861 m, between Ilm and Schorte the west of the north-east side ) - City of Ilmenau Berg, AT Lindenberg ( 749 m, east of Kickelhahn, separated by the Gabelbachtal ) Raft Mountain ( 638 m, north-east summit)

• Back between Schobse and Wohl Rose (up to 818 m, eastern center of the north-east side ) Furstenberg (818 m northeast of the Dreiherrenstein )
• Rear fire head ( 721 m, north-east south-west summit miter )

• Horse Mountain (805 m, north east supporters Bach )
• Kienberg (774 m, north-east south-west Oehrenstocks ) Large carrying mountain ( 588 m, north-east foothills )
• Support mountain ( 534 m, North Extension in Ilmenau)

• Rear Arolsberg ( 779 m, north-west woman Forest in the north of the back)
• Front Arolsberg (718 m, dam Schönbrunn ( pre-dam sluice reason) in the extreme south of the back)

• Big dog head ( 824 m, Rennsteig Allzunahs northeast and northwest of the Three Stone Men ) Perennials head back ( to 784 m, south, branching off to the south-west side, between near and Trenkbach the west of the southwest side ) Smith Burnet ( 784 m, Central Summit )
• Cold perennials head ( 768 m, South Summit ) - transmitter
• Big Giant Head ( 764 m, north peak ) - Jump house woman in forest

• Hood ( 811 m, just east and southeast of the Rennsteig Neustadt )
• Chop cabbage (790 m, Rennsteig southwest of the hood ) Sulfur head ( 774 m, between the lock and Neubrunn in the extreme southeast of the southwest side, east-southeast of the dam Schönbrunn ) Summer mountain ( 756 m, south-west summit of the sulfur head, southeast of the dam Schönbrunn )

• Narrow basic head ( 765 m, between the fork / lock and fir southeast of the center of the southwest side ) Hohenofen head ( 737 m, South Summit, dam Schönbrunn )

Geological Ex and enclaves

The natural spatial boundaries between the Thuringian Forest and the Thuringian Slate Mountains soft close from the interface to the part of the local geological conditions.

Masserberg and Crocker plaice

Beyond Locks and Neubrunn together with accompanying boundary disturbance taking place in the district Hildburghausen like a peninsula that are characteristic of the Thuringian Forest rocks of Permian like a peninsula to the southeast into the Thuringian Slate Mountains.

Southeast of Neubrunn doing this the Masserberg plaice with the Fehrenberg ( 835.1 m) (together Ersteberg ), the place Masserberg and the Eselsberg ( 841.5 m). The summer mountain ( 800.5 m) east Fehrenbach's with the Werra- source lies in the formation, but no longer to the south subsequent Zeupelsberg ( 759.9 m).

Further south and southeast side of the lock is the Crocker plaice, by the Simmersberg -southwest foothills High Warth ( 718.1 m) over the Wachberg ( 621.3 m) at Merbelsrod, the Priemäusel ( 624.6 m) and upper wind up in front of him Crock pulls. Lie directly on the southwest flank of the massif Grendel and the mountains Lower Hammerberg ( 653.6 m) to the west and southwest Klingeberg Waffenrods roughly equal on the ice floe.

Lock -Horst and Vesser complex

Conversely, the upper Schleusetal of the dam to Schönbrunn Schönau is completely in rocks of the Slate Mountains. This so-called lock -Horst also includes the sulfur head -southwest foothills of the high hill ( 731.2 m) and, like islands significantly north of the dam, the Big Three Herrnstein ( 838.2 m) at the Rennsteig and its offshoots Bühlsroder head ( 812.2 m, SO ) and Rear Arolsberg ( 838.2 m, SW), and also the little castle hill ( 758.6 m).

Fully embedded like islands in the Rotliegend rocks is the Schiefergebirgs island of forged box - Vesser, geologically referred to as Vesser complex in east and Vesser. Are all the mountains between the Vesser in the West and the Middle East in the north of the High Beech until Schmiedefeld, including among others the Volkmarsdorf head ( 726 m) and the Hückel ( 746.5 m) in him.

Geology

This section deals exclusively with the Thuringian Forest in the strict sense, without the High Thuringian Slate Mountains.

The Thuringian Forest is a northwest - southeast oriented strips plaice, which was lifted along faults on its northeast and southwest edge of horst -like from the ground. This elevation, when it was a remote effect of the Alps emergence ( saxonische tectonics ), began in the Upper Cretaceous and ended in younger Tertiary, and thus extended over a period of about 40 million years ago.

The Thuringian Forest is surrounded on three sides by areas that are dominated by Triassic rocks: in the north- east the Thuringian Basin, in the west the Hessian Valley and in the South West, the Frankish Südthüringisch - Triassic area, which belongs to the South German cuesta. In the east, the Variszikum the Thuringian- Franconian - Vogtländische Schiefergebirges connects.

The Thuringian Forest Flounder divided from northwest to southeast into three sections: the Eisenach trough the Ruhlaer saddle and Oberhofer trough. At the southeastern edge of Oberhof dump closes, separated by disorders of the Schwarzburg saddle on. In contrast to the wells and saddles of the east adjacent Slate Mountains, which are solely These are tectonic structures without direct reference to the relief, the wells and the saddle of the Thuringian Forest represent actually a former high area reduction and two territories. A related to it standing and at the same time another major difference between the Thuringian Forest and the Slate Mountains is east of it, that in the Slate Mountains mainly Variscan folded rocks of the older Palaeozoic ( the so-called Variscan basement ) are open, while in the Thuringian Forest predominantly the oldest unfolded layers ( Rotliegend, also referred to as Permosilesium ) this basement to light.

One common feature of the Thuringian Forest and the adjacent east Schiefergebirge but also other saxonisch prominent mountain range in Central Europe is that their margins of deposits of the Zechstein (uppermost Permian) are lined up. The Zechsteinablagerungen contain, inter alia, bryozoan reefs. At the northwest edge of the Thuringian Forest, where the Zechsteinsaum is particularly wide, is one of the largest Zechstein reefs Germany. Is the landscape park and the old stone castle on it.

Eisenach trough

The Eisenach trough the saxonisch prominent part of a much larger Permian subsidence area, the Werra River basin, which in turn was a part sink of the Saar -Unstrut sink area. The Eisenach trough is filled with Variscan molasses, which is called Eisenach lineup here. This consists mainly of monotonous sequences of red conglomerates, representing a proximal alluvial fan and have been supplied by the Ruhlaer saddle made in the form of debris flows. The Eisenach lineup is posted on the Oberrotweil prone and thus one of the youngest rock units in the Thuringian Forest.

The absence of volcanic rocks shows that the Werra- basin for deposition time of Eisenach lineup was a largely consolidated depositional environment, ie there were no significant tectonic activity.

Ruhlaer saddle

In Ruhlaer saddle the Variscan folded basement of the Thuringian Forest is exposed, which is referred to here as Ruhlaer crystallin. In the structure of the European Variscides after Kossmat, this part of the basement of the Central German Crystalline zone is attributed to the well of the Odenwald and Spessart belong et al.

The Ruhla Crystalline divided into five main units:

• Ruhla Granite
• Love rock group or central gneiss ( Steinbacher et al augen gneiss, Liebensteiner gneiss)
• Ruhla Group
• Trusetal Group
• Brotterode Group

The last four comprise mainly sedimentary, volcaniclastic and igneous rocks that were deposited or formed during the period from Cambrian to Lower Devonian. During the Variscan orogeny, they were subjected to intense metamorphism, so the majority of them exist today as gneiss or mica schist. The youngest rock complexes of Ruhlaer saddle are the Ruhla Granite and minor granite and diorite body that invaded the Upper Carboniferous ( spätvariszisch ) as magma in the basement and crystallized there.

The Ruhlaer saddle was the Rotliegend time a ridge that particular but supplied the northwestern part of Oberhofer trough which Eisenach dump with debris.

Oberhofer trough

The Oberhofer trough takes among the three main units in area one by far the largest share of the Thuringian Forest. When Oberhofer trough is the saxonisch prominent part of the so-called Thuringian Forest Basin, whose filling is divided into 10 formations:

• Tambach lineup
• Elgersburg lineup
• Rotterode lineup
• Height of mountain formation
• Oberhof Formation
• Goldlauter lineup
• Manebach lineup
• Ilmenau Formation
• Möhrenbach lineup
• George valley formation

The relative age relationships of rock units are often not fully understood and some of these units are believed to have been deposited at the same time (eg the carrots Bach and George Thal Formation). Ilmenau, carrots Bach and George valley formation are summarized traditionally for Mitre group.

The fact that the exact stratigraphic position of the rocks designed so difficult is probably because, inter alia, that it was in the Oberhofer trough a kind of grave fault system has been subjected in the course of its existence, in part a strong tectonic activity, which the internal relief and thus the main deposition areas are constantly changing.

The main phases of tectonic activity were accompanied by an intense felsic volcanism. Therefore, the rock units of the Oberhofer trough contain numerous volcanic rocks and sediments which are primarily concerns rhyolites, usually with porphyritic structure, together with the corresponding tuffs. In interbedded with the volcanics and the typical eponymous for the Permian red-colored Molassesedimente in the form of conglomerates, sand -, silt - and mudstones occur.

In the north-western half of the trough Oberhofer particularly widespread are the vulkanitdominierten sections of Oberhof Formation ( " Oberhofer Eruptivserie " ), which are placed in the upper Unterrotliegend. They are relatively weathering and erosion resistant and therefore can be found inter alia in the main ridge of the Thuringian Forest west of Oberhof and form with Big Beer Mountain, Snow and Big head Finsterberg the three highest peaks of the mountains. The fourth highest mountain, the Big Island mountain in the northwest of the Thuringian Forest between Tabarz and Brotterode, is surrounded by rocks of the sediment -dominated Goldlauter lineup erosion rest of Oberhofer Eruptivserie. The Falkenstein, an imposing cliff, also made of volcanic rock of Oberhof lineup.

In the cavities of volcanic rocks were formed over millions of years, many Druze. Particularly well known the snow head balls, agate and other quartz varieties are included here.

Formerly known as subunit of Rotterode lineup ( also upper Unterrotliegend ) considered the more than 300 meters thick altitude mountain - dolerite (also called Hühnberg - dolerite ) at the northwestern edge of the Oberhofer trough now along with some other igneous intrusions in a separate stratigraphic unit, height of mountain intrusion interval between Oberhof and Rotterode lineup, asked. The approximately southwest - northeast -oriented, more than two kilometers wide smear this dolerite sills extends approximately from flea Seligenthal to Finsterbergen and thus crosses almost the entire Thuringian Forest. The dolerite was dismantled 1900-1942 in the field of Ebertswiese.

The remaining sediment poorer compared to Oberhof Formation and geologically older volcanics of the Mitre Group (" Gehrener Igneous Series ") of the Unterrotliegend cover almost the entire East half of Oberhofer trough. Besides rhyolites are also on a larger scale latite and trachyte on. The dominance of volcanic rocks in Miter group testifies to the intense volcanism, who was accompanied by the elongation and reduction of the earth's crust, which led to the emergence of the Thuringian Forest Basin.

Significant, albeit much less widespread, in part, sediment -dominated rock units of Oberhof trough are the Tambach formation of Oberrotweil Lying and Manebach formation of Unterrotliegend. Both formations are known primarily by their fossil content. The red beds of Tambach formation, representing a river level with savanna -like climate, contained in a particular horizon, the Tambach Sandstone, numerous remains of Permian upland ecosystem parameters by which dug into the famous fossil site on Bromacker at Tambach- Dietharz. Best known here are the tetrapod finds ( " Ur -dinosaur ").

The older Manebach lineup consists mainly of gray sand -, silt - and mudstones, in which small powerful coal layers are stored. It represents an increasingly humid, tropical river landscape with dense vegetation and is known for the well-preserved plant fossils ( horsetail ferns ). From Manebach lineup also originate finds of Arthropleura, the largest arthropod species that ever lived on earth, and of Onchiodon thuringiensis, a large Temnospondylen of the superfamily of Eryopoideen.

While they belong in the saddle Ruhlaer the youngest rocks are the granite intrusions in the Oberhofer trough the oldest rocks. Similar to the Ruhla Granite, the Thuringian main granite penetrated the Upper Carboniferous as a melt into the basement and crystallized from there. But at the end of the Carboniferous, he was apparently already at or relatively close to the surface and thus a deep weathering ( Vergrusung ) was exposed. Thus he forfeited to strength and is today relatively susceptible to erosion, making the hazel and its tributaries were relatively deeply into the largest outcrop of the main granite in the region around Suhl and Zella- Mehlis himself. In contrast with the Gerber stone of non- vergruste Ruhla Granite forms part of the ridge line of the Thuringian Forest.

Considerably older than the Thuringian main granite is the Cambrian Vesser complex that is open to the southeast of Oberhof trough. This however, is expected geologically to the Black Burger saddle and thus the Thuringian Slate Mountains.

Small Thuringian Forest

Clearly outside the central mountain range, in the southern foothills of the Thuringian Forest is north-west of the lock, lifted a northwest - southeast oriented, narrow Horst from the ground at the southeast edge of up to 692 m high, formed by the lower red sandstone heights. The tree- deposits of the Zechstein core area of ​​Horst's come to light various rocks that are also found in the Thuringian Forest. This area, whose relief is significantly lower than that of the surrounding area is distinctive due to geological similarities Small Thuringian Forest.

Climate

Due to the geological subsurface and the cross bar effect of the mountain hull of the Thuringian Forest in the main weather direction of Europe and the high rainfall associated with the erosion of the upper fraction of plaice rock mass has been modeled a mountain range with a pronounced relief. Therefore, the Thuringian Forest has a higher energy than other relief highlands. This has, for example, some authors, led in the 18th century, as an accurate height measurement of the mountains was not yet possible to the mountains of the Thuringian Forest ( in particular the snow head) on their appearance back after the Brocken in the Harz Mountains to the highest mountains of Germany to count.

The Thuringian Forest is in the Central European transition zone between the embossed from the Atlantic maritime climate of Western Europe and the embossed from the mainland continental climate of Eastern Europe. As moist air masses reach the Thuringian Forest predominantly from the west, the western slopes including the ridge lines have the highest rainfall. With the exception of the shallower north-western part ( about 650 mm) and the eastern slopes of the annual precipitation often more than 1000 mm, in upper elevations as high as about 1300 mm. Northeast Thuringian Basin is located accordingly in the rain shadow and barely receives more than 500 mm / year ( depending on the location 460-590 mm) and thus is one of the driest regions in Germany.

The average temperature in July decrease with increasing altitude of about 15.5 degrees at 500 m elevation ( valleys ) over 14 degrees in 700 meters up to 12.5 degrees with ridge lines of 900 meters (compared to 18 degrees in the lower layers of the Thuringian basin ). In January, average temperatures range from -2 ° to 500 m, -3 degrees to 700 m and -4 degrees to 900 m (compared to -0.5 degrees at lower elevations of the Thuringian Basin ). The average annual temperatures are 6.5 degrees corresponding to 500 m, 5 degrees to 700 m and 4 degrees in ridge lines ( Thuringian Basin: 8.5 degrees ).

The number of frost days exceeds on the ridges of 150 days, while in the Thuringian Basin is significantly lower the number of days below 100. Only the absolute minimum temperature increases with increasing height by 3 degrees of altitude to the valleys and at about four degrees more to the wells of the Thuringian Basin.

Traffic

The Federal Highway 4 leads north of the Thuringian Forest along. In a north-south direction, the Thuringian Forest Highway A 71 opens the highlands. Its main ridge it traverses in Oberhof with the longest highway tunnel in Germany, the 7916 -meter-long Rennsteig tunnel.

Two of the three rail lines through the Thuringian forest are in daily operation: the railway line from Erfurt to Schweinfurt with the Oberhof at the Rennsteig under crossing Brandleite tunnel and the Werrabahn with the Förthaer tunnel at Eisenach. On the Rennsteigbahn that crosses the ridge as a single, 1998, the scheduled train service was discontinued; today operate there only museum trains. From Gotha to Tabarz drives the Thuringian Forest Railway, an interurban tram at the northern slopes of the Thuringian Forest.

Rennsteig

On the ridge of the Thuringian Forest runs from Hörschel on the Werra to Blankenstein an der Saale of the 169 -km altitude Rennsteig hiking trail. Once a year, the Rennsteig to the large running track since mid May, since 1973 every year instead of Rennsteiglauf. The Rennsteig hiking trail as has a high symbolic significance for the State of Thuringia. Thus, the Rennsteig song as " secret anthem " Thuringia is often referred to.

Even the biggest biathlon stadium in Germany was also named to its renaming in December 2007 after the Rennsteig. Today DKB Ski Arena called sports venue in Oberhof holds space for 13,000 spectators.

Attractions

Due to its natural attractions, the Rennsteig and the favorable climatic conditions of the Thuringian Forest is also a major tourist destination in Germany. In Eisenach is the Wartburg history. In Oberhof are internationally renowned winter sports facilities and the Rennsteiggarten.