Fichtel Hills

Fichtel Hills

▪ mountains, Europe
German  Fichtelgebirge , Czech  Smrčiny 

      mountains in northeastern Bavaria Land (state), southeastern Germany. They lie at the Czech border between the Franconian Forest in the northwest, the Ore Mountains (in German, Erzgebirge; in Czech, Krušné Hory) in the northeast, and the Upper Palatinate Forest (a section of the Bohemian Forest) in the south. The rectangular plateau of the Fichtel Hills forms a watershed at the junction of these three highlands. The plateau drains northward and eastward through the Saale and Eger (Czech Ohře) rivers to the Elbe, southward through the Naab River to the Danube, and westward through the Weisser Main River to the Rhine. The highest point is Mount Schnee (3,448 feet [1,051 metres]). Granite rocks, stands of spruce (Fichte, whence the region's name), and bogs characterize the higher lands. The interior is under cultivation and meadowland; much of the forest was cleared in the Middle Ages. Its relatively high density of population is due to the local manufacture of cotton textiles, timber working, and granite quarrying. Selb, a porcelain-making centre, is the chief city; Alexandersbad, Wunsiedel (with its rock museum), and the granite labyrinth of Luisenburg are of interest. The Fichtel Hills Nature Preserve has its headquarters at Wunsiedel.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ferdinand von Hochstetter — Hochstetter s m …   Wikipedia

  • Vogtland — ▪ region, Germany       physical and cultural region of southwestern Saxony Land (state), southeastern Germany, lying between Bavaria Land and the Czech Republic. A wooded, hilly plateau drained northward by the upper Weisse Elster River,… …   Universalium

  • Ore Mountains — ▪ mountain range, Europe Czech  Krušné Hory , German  Erzgebirge        range of hills bounding the Bohemian Massif, extending 100 miles (160 km) along the German Czech border, and reaching an average width of 25 miles (40 km). The Bohemian… …   Universalium

  • Main River — River, central Germany. Rising in northern Bavaria, and flowing west, it passes through Frankfurt before emptying into the Rhine River; it is 326 mi (524 km) long. It forms part of the Main Danube Canal, which links the Rhine and Danube rivers to …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”