Vogelsberg Mountains

F1

Overview map Vogelsberg

The Vogelsberg is a low mountain range in Hesse and reaches a height of 773 font m above sea level. NHN. He is a member of Osthessischen mountain country and the largest closed basalt massif in Europe. Much of its high altitude occupies the Hoher Vogelsberg. About the Vogelsberg and the Rhine -Weser watershed runs.

• 4.1 watercourses 4.1.1 The main rivers systematically
• Table 4.1.2 of the main arms of the Vogelsberg
• 4.1.3 The five main rivers of the Vogelsberg compared

Geographical Location

The Vogelsberg Mountains are in the Vogelsberg district some 60 km northeast of Frankfurt between Alsfeld, Fulda, Büdingen and Nidda. In the eastern North includes some distance to the crumpled, to the east the Rhön, in the southeast of the Spessart and the Southwest, the low-lying Wetterau, which passes in the same direction in the South Hessian lowlands of the Rhine -Main region. In contrast, goes the bird mountain in north-western directions in parts of the West Hessian highlands on which the bird mountain nor in their name, and even to carry on the basalt rocks of its namesake clearly outside the actual bird mountain.

Geological formation

The Vogelsberg is 2500 km ² the largest contiguous volcanic region of Central Europe. He is not a former shield volcano, but consists of many volcanoes that overlap. He is accordingly composed of a variety of layered basalt, appointed by the Upper Forest, Central, 600-773 m high lying plateau region, annular and like stairs down lead to its edges. The present shape, which resembles a large, flat shield-shaped volcano with a central elevation, is the result of an interplay of uplift processes and acting on all sides ablation.

The volcanic activity in the Vogelsberg is like that of the north of it to Adelebsen reaching in Lower Saxony North Hessian volcanic area associated with the faulting, which resulted in the Tertiary to the emergence of low- Hessian Depression. She started in Northern Hesse about 20 million years ago in the lower Miocene, had a maximum million years ago, about 12 to 13 and went out about seven million years ago in the upper Miocene. The volcanism of the Vogelsberg was active mainly in the Middle Miocene, by potassium -argon dating before 10 to 18.5 million years ago, with a maximum of activity was 15 and 17 million years ago.

Due to the volcanic basaltic lava flows and pyroclastic mainly deposits were formed. In the sequence of volcanic products were promoted at the beginning of trachyte and phonolite, then alkali olivine basalts came to the deposition, alternating with Tholeiiten. The volcanic conveyor products superimpose a foundation of sandstone and Tertiary sands, in small areas in the east and rocks of the Muschelkalk and the Keuper.

The erosion after the Miocene has dismantled the original to the territory of the Lower Main -reaching coherent basalt flows down to the central complex in isolated reserves. Sub tropical to subtropical conditions, the volcanic rocks were converted by lateritic weathering in red clays. In some places it came to the accumulation of red clay and the formation of bauxite and the concentration of the iron contained in basalts to iron ores. These deposits have been mined for a long time for raw material extraction, also was and is the basalt a nationally sought-after raw material for the gravel and stone extraction.

Nature regions

The structure of the Vogelsberg in individual natural areas follows, first the relief of the mountain from the highest priority to the outside, on the other hand the radially propagating main catchment areas of Eder ( Schwalm ), Low Fulda ( va slot and Lueder ), Main ( Kinzig and Nidda ) and Lahn (Ohms).

The following natural areas can be distinguished:

• 350 Lower Vogelsberg 350.1 Northern Lower Vogelsberg
• 350.2 Northwestern Lower Vogelsberg
• 350.3 Lower Eastern Vogelsberg
• 350.4 Western Lower Vogelsberg
• 350.5 Southern Lower Vogelsberg
• 350.6 Gieseler Forestry

• 351.1 Eastern Hoher Vogelsberg
• 351.2 Upper Forest

Soils and rocks are in all parts of the Vogelsberg - except the Gieseler forest - about the same, but decreases toward the center, the average annual temperature markedly ( up to 5 °) and the annual precipitation to rise to the upper forest down to up to 1200 mm.

The basalt surface of the Vogelsberg continues to the east and north into neighboring natural areas, during the Gieseler forest in the east already, as well as extending in all directions eastern subsequent natural areas, stands on sandstone.

The Vogelsberg massif has screes of basalt and tuff, raised bogs and jungle-like areas. Numerous trails traverse not only the upper forest, see trails in the Vogelsberg.

Upper forest

The upper forest ( 351.2 ) represents the fully forested center of the Vogelsberg dar. Its location approximately follows the 600 -m contour line.

Large parts of the upper forest are protected. Thus, the ( beech ) forest in a nature reserve baptismal font is left since 1906, even while the forest in the outer parts of the Vogelsberg have to share the room with meadows and arable land.

On the northern slope of the baptismal font are large boulders to find basalt.

Outside the Hoher Vogelsberg

The valleys of the Western ( 351.0 ) and East ( 351.1 ) High Vogelsberg lie to the north mostly above 500 m to the west in some cases from an altitude of 400 m. In the main, followed by the narrowing of the headwaters of the main rivers and in particular the running from southeast to northwest Rhine -Weser watershed, east partly to the. Between Lahn and Main

The clearing of large parts of the original forest due, together with the high annual rainfall of 1000 mm, and a flood -causing, accelerated onset of snowmelt. To this end also contribute slightly permeable Basaltlehmböden.

In a relaxed sequence to river source rich woods, wetlands, nutrient-poor grasslands and river valleys alternate; Furthermore, there is a raised bog and the Vogelsberger lakes in the southeast some standing water.

Lower Vogelsberg (without Gieseler Forestry )

The basaltic part of the Lower Vogelsberg ( 350.1-350.5 ) has altitudes between 300 and 500 m, on the west to the south-west interface to the Wetterau also partly below 200 m.

The transitions to Büdinger forest to the south, to the land back to the southeast and Gieseler forest (see below) to the east follow the less relief, but rather the geological transition from basalt to sandstone.

Also for the Knüll upstream Fulda Haune - plateau to the northeast is done, although separated by the Grossenlueder - Lauterbach ditch this ground transition, while the shifts in the north followed by North Bird Mountain Foreland this transition to the outside of the actual bird mountain and offshore in the North West Front Vogelsberg remains basalthaltig over large parts. Also to the east of the basalt remains far obtained in the gently undulating Wetterau, which follows immediately in the form of depression at the middle and lower reaches of the Horloff.

Nature Geographically, the island-like wooded area is to be regarded as Melick beech forest area.

Gieseler Forestry

In Gieseler Forest ( 350.6 ), the Vogelsberg pushes with altitudes of up to at least about 500 meters until you reach the Fulda valley to the east. The only lying on red sandstone part of the Vogelsberg nature is spatially clearly separated from the basaltic parts of the Lower Vogelsberg.

In addition to most of the natural area covering forest cover (among pine forests ) also exist largely vegetation-free areas on the mighty spoil heaps and pointed cones of the degraded at Neuhof Kalisalzlager.

Adjacent natural areas

The following are the transitions of the Vogelsberg be clockwise, starting in the northwest, described in the adjacent natural areas.

Front Vogelsberg

In the Near Vogelsberg (main unit 349 ) with the Lumda Plateau ( natural area 349.0 ) as the central, most of the surface engaging high surface pushes the slab of basalt of the Vogelsberg far into the West Hesse Highlands in, where it breaks off just before the Marburg - Giessen Lahn valley. Using the actual plateau of Lower Vogelsberg is connected only in the form of a narrow Korridores along the Lahn -Main watershed, while northeast of it, forms the border in Ohmtal, a unique Talgraben. Also, southwest of the Korridores, in Laubach hill country, the Front Vogelsberg against the Lower flattens considerably.

Northern Vogelsberg foreshore

Almost fluent runs, the transition from Northwestern Lower Vogelsberg to the Northern Vogelsberg Foreland ( natural area 346.2 ) than the southern part of the Upper Hessian threshold (main unit 346 ) that connects to the Rhine -Weser watershed Vogelsberg with the basement Forest. The landscape remains until just prior to the New Town saddle, the Central Valley of the threshold, at the height of nearly 400 m. It was only in the middle region of the foreland of the basalt is gradually replaced by sandstone.

The character of a plateau with hardly appreciable Zertalung in East-West direction is also reflected in the fact that the coming of the Vogelsberg Antrift happened this natural area in the immediate vicinity of the eastern watershed in south-north direction. The western central watercourse, the small, however, runs in a northwesterly direction and tends to follow a more continuous and faster height drop between the height levels of the Vogelsberg and the flat Amöneburg Basin, where the petty encounters below 200 m on the ohm.

West Valley Hessian

The Schwalmtal widens significantly in Alsfeld and decides there is a relatively abrupt end of the Lower Bird Mountain to the north. From here, the Hessian West Valley is a natural boundary zone between Western and Osthessischem Bergland, which runs up to the Weser mountain country back.

Fulda Valley

Unlike the mainly radially removed from the Vogelsberg West Hessian sink the Fulda valley (main unit 352 ) is tangent to the Vogelsberg and separates it from the adjacent parts of Fulda Haune - table-land ( 355 ) and the Kuppenrhön ( 353).

Behind the running to the southeast Grossenlueder - Lauterbach trench ( natural area 352.2 ) slide into Ottrauer Bergland ( 355.0 ) and Schlitzerland ( 355.1 ) Landscapes between Vogelsberg and crumpled and foothills of northern Kuppenrhön who are already in the immediate vicinity of the trench altitudes of up to 500 m reach and thus even exceed that of the neighboring Lower Vogelsberg some cases.

On the other runs east of the Gieseler Forst, the rise to montaneren parts of the Rhön behind the broad Fulda basin ( 352.1 ) and, depending southwest then, to narrow Candle creator Fliedetal ( 352.01 ) and Fliedener pool ( 352.00 ) towards more leisurely.

Country back

South of Fliedener basin ( see above) and north of the already Spessart attributed Schlüchterner basin ( natural area 141.6 ) combines the running in the east-west direction ridge ( 353.0 ) on the Rhine -Weser watershed Vogelsberg with the Rhön, the main unit ( 353 = Kuppenrhön ) it is attributed. The transitions from Gieseler forest to the south and the Southern Lower Vogelsberg southeast to the ridge running smoothly, however only along a very small contact area.

In the immediate vicinity of the land back to basalt and sandstone are replacing, which demonstrates his " mongrel " between Kuppenrhön and Vogelsberg.

Büdinger forest

While manifested on the southern interface from the east of the Southern Lower Vogelsberg mountains and the country back to Schlüchterner basin the transition from basalt to colorful sandstone rocks containing in the form of a flattening reliefs extend further west the transitions from Osthessischen Bergland zum Spessart ( for main unit group 14) clearly flowing. Less to the height levels, but rather to the sometimes seemingly abrupt onset, thick forests and the transition to Büdinger Forest (main unit 143 ) is recognizable. Altitudes of 400 m, in the far west at 300 m correspond to those of the adjacent parts from West and Southern Unterer Vogelsberg.

To the west is the Büdinger forest Ronneburger the hill country ( 232.0 ) upstream, which also affected the Western Lower Vogelsberg on Niddertal at Glauburg. This poor relief as early as the Rhine -Main Lowlands (main unit group 23 ) calculated the hills, however, already commonly attributed to the Wetterau (see below).

Wetterau

To the south east from the Lower Vogelsberg flattens considerably faster than in all other directions and below, even within the Western Lower Vogelsberg, the spacious 200 - m limit.

The Horloff lowlands ( natural area 234.01 ) forms at the middle and lower reaches of the eponymous river as part of the Wetterau (main unit 234 ) one at first glance relatively sharp demarcation of the landscape from the Vogelsberg. However, as already indicated above, the extreme west of the Western Lower Vogelsberg on this side of the Horloff already very reliefarm, which, inter alia, in the fact manifests that the left, so the eastern tributaries of the Horloff from the Vogelsberg are still profitable poorer here than the right of Münzenberger back ( 234.01 ), which represents a minimum, extending in a north-south direction ridge in the center of the Wetterau.

Although breaks at the Horloff lowland basalt soil to the west abruptly, but it runs further north until well into the westernmost lowland and extends into a running in the south corner and down to the Münzenberger back.

Table of individual natural areas ( with mountains )

The following are the natural areas from the inside to the outside are classified in the second place clockwise.

• Lower Fulda slot (all main rivers )

• Schwarza

• Nidder
• Nidda

• Lakes along with Bach Ilsbach

• Baptismal font ( 773.0 m, Rhein -Weser watershed )
• Hoherodskopf ( 763.8 m)
• Seven maple ( 752.7 m, Rhein- Weser and Main -Lahn- watershed )
• Herchenhainer height ( 733.1 m, Rhein -Weser watershed )
• Hostage stone (about 720 m)
• Nesselberg (ca. 716.2 m)
• Bilstein ( 665.5 m)

• Lower Fulda slot
• Lueder
• Lilac ( Kemmete only )

• Steinau Bach
• Salt
• Bracht

• Seemenbach
• Nidder

• Völzberger head ( 570.8 m), Rhine -Weser watershed
• Naxburg ( 553.6 m), Rhine -Weser watershed
• Horst ( 553.3 m)

• Nidda Nidda
• Horloff
• Weather

• Eckmann Hain ( 622.0 m)
• Schlossberg Ulrich Stein ( 614 m)
• Vogelsberg ( Feldatal ) ( 598.0 m)
• Goldner Steinrück ( 578.1 m)

• Kinzig Steinau Bach
• Ulmbach
• Salt
• Bracht

• Only Seemenbach

• Werner Stein (420 m)
• Apple Mountain (419 m)
• Gallows Hill ( 393 m), Western Interface to Western UVB
• Katzenstein ( 382 m), southern Interface to Büdinger forest

• Nidda Nidder
• Nidda
• Horloff
• Weather

• Gallows Hill ( 393 m), eastern Interface to Southern UVB
• Lehnkopf ( 358 m)
• Ash Mountain (328 m)
• Stirrups (298 m), Western interface to the Wetterau
• Hubberg (289 m), Western interface to the Wetterau
• Stone Knorre (259 m), eastern Interface to Büdinger forest in the extreme south

• Ohm

• Stone head ( 496 m), eastern Interface to Northern UVB
• Bildstein ( 398 m )
• Kretenberg ( 384 m), northern Interface to VB Northern foreshore, Rhein -Weser watershed

• Schwalm

• Stone head ( 496 m), Western Interface to Northwestern UVB
• Baumgart head ( 423 m), northern interface to the West Hessian Depression

• ( Schwalm )
• Lower Fulda slot
• Lueder
• Lilac (only left tributaries )

• Miihlberg (486 m )
• Army Hain ( 486 m)

• Lower Fulda Lueder ( right lower tributaries )
• Giesel
• Lilac (left tributaries )

• Knöschen (509 m ) Interface to Eastern Lower Vogelsberg on the southeastern edge of the forest
• Himmelberg (490 m)

Waters and water supply

About the Vogelsberg runs not only a section of the Rhine -Weser watershed, but also ( Weser and Fulda- internal) the watershed between Eder and Schwalm and Lower Fulda and (Rhein- internal) between Main and Lahn.

Groundwater and spring water from the Vogelsberg ensures, besides water from the Spessart and the Hessian Ried drinking water supply in the Rhine- Main area. 1876 ​​were taken to sources in the eastern Vogelsberg and completed the construction of a water pipeline from the Spessart and the Vogelsberg to Frankfurt am Main. A lack of understanding of the specific hydro-geological and ecological situation in the Vogelsberg and excessive withdrawals had the consequence that sources failed, setting created cracks in buildings and at times sagged to the ground. The Oberhessischen utilities AG ( OVAG ) are the largest water conveyor in the Vogelsberg: They pump each year about 30 million cubic meters of groundwater from their wells; of which are given about 2/3 of the Rhine- Main area to the city of Frankfurt am Main.

Watercourses

In Vogelsberg arise numerous rivers, streams and rivers, the radially spreading to the high center of gravity, flowing in every direction. Clockwise viewed the rivers flow into the main river basins Schwalm, Lower Fulda, Kinzig, Nidda and ohms. Often a name known river is fed by several, nearly equal main arms.

The main rivers systematically

The main rivers of the Vogelsberg are, clockwise from the north, ordered:

• Fulda Schwalm ( 97.1 km ) Antrift ( 38.6 km )
• Upper Schwalm

• Slot ( 43.3 km ) Lauter ( 27.9 km ) Brenderwasser
• Pure
• Eisenbach

• Ancient hazel
• Altefeld

• Schwarza
• Lueder
• Moosbach
• Jossa

• Kemmete
• Upper Lilac

• Main Kinzig ( 86.0 km ) Steinau Bach (23,2 km )
• Ulmbach ( 13.4 km )
• Salt ( 29.8 km )
• Bracht ( 31.5 km )

• Seemenbach ( 37.4 km )
• Nidder ( 68.6 km )
• Nidda
• Horloff (44,5 km )
• Weather ( 68.8 km )

• Ohm ( 59.0 km ) lakes Bach
• Ilsbach
• Ohm
• Felda

In terms of the Vogelsberg, however, the lengths given are misleading:

• The Schwalm refers only a fraction of their water from the Vogelsberg and will, inter alia, still fed by crumpled and cellar woods.
• The Lilac is only on the left side fed by Vogelsberg, while the right-hand tributaries of the Rhön and the country come back.
• The Kinzig itself does not flow through the Central Mountains. Only the main right tributaries come from the Vogelsberg, during the spring, for example, left the Spessart.
• In the system of Nidda the weather leaves the Vogelsberg shortly after its source disk and refers, inter alia, nor water from the Taunus; the Horloff soon leaves the Vogelsberg and forms from now on only the eastern border.
• The ohm is, inter alia, still fed in the middle reaches from the basement Forest.

Table of the main arms of the Vogelsberg

If one, in so far as the river compatible structures, the natural spatial limits of the Vogelsberg (main units 350-351 ) to basically carry out 16 major arms from the Vogelsberg, which can be assigned to five major rivers:

• Northern Lower VB

• (Eastern Lower VB)
• Northern Lower VB

• Eastern High VB
• Eastern Lower VB

• Eastern High VB
• Eastern Lower VB
• ( Gieseler Forestry )

• Gieseler Forestry

(left-hand tributaries, measured over Kemmete )

• (Eastern High VB)
• (Eastern Lower VB)
• Gieseler Forestry

• Southern Lower VB

• Southern Lower VB

• Southern Lower VB

• Southern Lower VB

• Eastern High VB
• Southern Lower VB

• Eastern High VB
• Western Lower VB

• Western Lower VB

( Eastern tributaries of the Horloff lowlands )

• Western Lower VB

• Western Lower VB

• Western Lower VB

The five main rivers of the Vogelsberg compared

From the above, only minimally different from the physiographic division of the Vogelsberg values ​​according to arise for the five major basins:

Still waters

Among the still waters of the Vogelsberg include these lakes and ponds ( in alphabetical order ):

• Antrifttalsperre
• Gederner lake
• Niddastausee

• Mooser ponds
• Dam of Nidderkraftwerks

Tourism

The bird is known for its mountain ski resorts in the Herchenhainer height and in Hoherodskopf (downhill and 55 km of trails ).

In summer, many bike tours can be carried out in addition to hiking, as several bike paths ( Vulkanradweg, Vogelsberger Southern Railway cycle path ... ) were built. Furthermore, buses RMV, the so-called Vulkan Express from Budingen, Stock Home, Nidda, Spins, mosquito and slot drive over Lauterbach on the weekends with trailers for bicycles on the heights of the Vogelsberg. Most bus lines to the Hoherodskopf and can be combined with each other so.

The volcano bike path and the Southern Railway cycle path are paved; they can be well used by inline skaters. A large network of signposted cycle routes thematic place before the cyclists and the Nature Fitness Park Vogelsberg to the highest peaks for 70 km of marked mountain bike trails.

The Hoherodskopf is a tourist center of the region. Here is the conservation information center of the nature park Hoher Vogelsberg and a Tourist Information Center of the town of Schotten with year-round daily opening times. From here start three built in 2009 and nature trails about geology, nature and sense perception. There is a summer toboggan run, a climbing forest, numerous hiking trails and several rest stops.