East Hesse Highlands
Encyclopedia
The East Hesse Highlands describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse
, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony
to the north, Thuringia
to the east and Bavaria
to the southeast. The region is sandwiched between the West Hesse Depression
to the west, the Weser Uplands to the north, the Thuringian Basin
to the northeast, the northwestern edge of the Thuringian Forest
to the east, the Spessart
to the south and the Wetterau
to the southwest.
The East Hesse Highlands forms a natural region
(no. 35 or D47) and is both part of the European Central Uplands
as well as the Rhine-Weser watershed.
The West and East Hesse Highlands together form the Hesse Highlands and correspond to the geological unit of the Hesse Depression in its wider sense, because geologically recent layers of Zechstein
and Bunter sandstone, and in places even younger Muschelkalk
rocks, from the lower Jurassic
and Tertiary
periods have been preserved here.
. Almost all of the region is formed by Bunter sandstone and this defines both its relief and the surface of the land apart from occasional layers of overlying volcanic basalt.
All the prominent ridges are, at least partly, characterised by volcanic features. Between the Hohe Meißner (754 m) and Kaufungen Forest (up to 643 m high) in the north, the Knüll
(636 m) in the centre, the Vogelsberg
(773 m) in the southwest and the Rhön (950 m) in the southeast, there are numerous individual singularities which catalogue the volcanic activity between the two Central Uplands
regions.
Uplands, in the south the Fulda-Haune Plateau and in the southeast the Vorderrhön and Kuppenrhön (including the Landrücken) to the southeast, which run into the Hohe Rhön
still further to the southeast.
South of the Fulda-Haune Plateau and west of the Rhön are the Lower und High Vogelsberg
hills, the former encircling the latter.
. Left of the Fulda lie the Knüll
and Vogelsberg
, right of it the major part of the Fulda-Werra Highlands and the Rhön.
Right hand tributaries of the middle and lower reaches of the Schwalm
, which lie almost entirely in the West Hesse Depression, drains the western part of the area, whilst left hand tributaries of the Werra
drain the east. Only the source of the Schwalm and the mouth of the Werra lie within the Highlands themselves.
The tributaries are also north of the Rhine-Weser watershed, apart from the Ohm the only tributary of the Lahn
, which is clearly oriented in a south-to-north direction, whilst the streams running into the Main tributaries of the Nidda, Kinzig and Franconian Saale flow south.
.
For a better overview or to see them listed in a downstream order, by river system, enter the DGKZ numbers after the number of the parent river followed by a dash.
River names and lengths listed in italics are those which clearly leave the region of the East Hesse Highlands (depressions on the perimeter excluded), where catchment areas and discharges are given in italics, it indicates that part of the catchment area is external and has significant tributaries from outside the East Hesse Highlands (see the notes below the table). Main rivers are linked if they are entirely located outside the area.
(*: the source of the Haune lies, strictly speaking, still just in the Western Rhön Foreland, 353.1
**: the Wehre rises, strictly speaking, in the Rommerode Hills, 357.53, the eastern foreland of the Söhre)
***: the values for catchment area and discharge of the Taft are limited to the Hessian part and do not include its confluence area in Thuringia)
The following parts of the (catchment areas of the) rivers listed are not in the East Hesse Highlands:
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
to the north, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
to the east and Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
to the southeast. The region is sandwiched between the West Hesse Depression
West Hesse Depression
The West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :...
to the west, the Weser Uplands to the north, the Thuringian Basin
Thuringian Basin
The Thuringian Basin is a depression in the central and northwest part of Thuringia in Germany which is crossed by several rivers, the longest of which is the Unstrut. It stretches about from north to south and around from east to west...
to the northeast, the northwestern edge of the Thuringian Forest
Thuringian Forest
The Thuringian Forest running northwest to southeast, forms a continuous stretch of ancient rounded mountains posing ample difficulties in transit routing save through a few navigable passes in the southern reaches of the German state of Thuringia. It is about long and wide...
to the east, the Spessart
Spessart
The Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
to the south and the Wetterau
Wetterau
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains....
to the southwest.
The East Hesse Highlands forms a natural region
Natural region
A Natural region is one which is distinguished by its natural features of geography and usually more important, geology. The natural ecology of the region is likely to be significant but one of these factors tends to influence the others....
(no. 35 or D47) and is both part of the European Central Uplands
Central Uplands
The Central Uplands is one of the three major natural regions of Germany and covers most of the land area of the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.- Formation :...
as well as the Rhine-Weser watershed.
The West and East Hesse Highlands together form the Hesse Highlands and correspond to the geological unit of the Hesse Depression in its wider sense, because geologically recent layers of Zechstein
Zechstein
The Zechstein is a unit of sedimentary rock layers of Middle to Late Permian age located in the European Permian Basin which stretches from the east coast of England to northern Poland...
and Bunter sandstone, and in places even younger Muschelkalk
Muschelkalk
The Muschelkalk is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic age and forms the middle part of the Germanic Trias, that further consists of the Buntsandstein and Keuper...
rocks, from the lower Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
periods have been preserved here.
Natural divisions
The Hesse Environmental Atlas distinguishes the following major geographical units (three-figure numbers):- 35 East Hesse Highlands
- 350 Lower Vogelsberg
- 350.1 Northern Lower Vogelsberg
- 350.2 Northwestern Lower Vogelsberg
- 350.3 Eastern Lower Vogelsberg
- 350.4 Western Lower Vogelsberg
- 350.5 Southern Lower Vogelsberg
- 350.6 Giesel Forest
- 351 High Vogelsberg (including Oberwald)
- 351.0 Western High Vogelsberg
- 351.1 Eastern High Vogelsberg
- 351.2 Oberwald
- 352 Fulda Depression
- 352.0 Fliede Valley
- 352.1 Fulda Basin
- 352.2 Großenlüder-Lauterbach Trough
- 353 Vorderrhön and Kuppenrhön (including Landrücken)
- 353.0 Landrücken
- 353.1 Western Rhön Foreland
- 353.2 Kuppenrhön
- 353.3 Eastern Rhön Foreland
- 354 Hohe RhönHohe RhönHohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim....
- 354.0 Southern Hohe Rhön
- 354.1 Hochrhön
- 355 Fulda-Haune Plateau
- 355.0 Ottrau Highlands
- 355.1 Schlitz Land
- 355.2 Kämmerzell-Hersfeld Fulda Valley
- 355.3 Haune Plateaus
- 355.4 Kirchheim Highlands
- 356 KnüllKnüllKnüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested...
Upland- 356.0 Western Knüll Foreland
- 356.1 Eastern Knüll Foreland
- 356.2 Hochknüll
- 356.3 Homberg Upland
- 357 Fulda-Werra Highlands
- 357.0 Neuenstein-Ludwigseck Ridge
- 357.1 Bebra-Melsungen Fulda Valley
- 357.2 Solztrottenwald and Seulingswald
- 357.3 Sontra Hills
- 357.4 Stölzinger Highlands (Stölzinger Hills)
- 357.5 Witzenhausen-Altmorschen Valley
- 357.6 Melsungen Highlands (including Günsterode Heights)
- 357.7 Kaufungen Forest (including Söhre)
- 357.8 Meißner Region (including Hohem Meißner)
- 357.9 Sontra Highlands (including Schlierbachswald)
- 358 Lowe Werra Highlands
- 358.0 Lower Werra Saddle
- 358.1 Treffurt-Wanfried Werra Valley
- 358.2 Eschwege Basin
- 358.3 Sooden-Allendorf Werra Valley
- 358.4 Witzenhausen-Hedemünden Werra Valley
- 358.5 Rosoppe-Frieda Bay
- 358.6 Höheberg
- 358.8 Neuseesen-Werleshausen Heights
- 358.9 Sandwald
- 359 Salzungen Werra Highlands
- 359.0 Stadtlangsfeld Hills
- 359.1 Salzungen-Herleshausen Werra Valley
- 359.2 Frauensee Hills
- 350 Lower Vogelsberg
Landscape characteristics
The East Hesse Highlands is bounded immediately to the east by the West Hesse Highlands and LowlandsWest Hesse Highlands
The West Hesse Highlands , also known as the West Hessian Lowlands and Highlands , refers to a heavily forested region of the Central Uplands in Germany that lies mostly within the state of Hesse, between those elements of the Rhine Massif right of the Rhine in the west, the Weser Uplands to the...
. Almost all of the region is formed by Bunter sandstone and this defines both its relief and the surface of the land apart from occasional layers of overlying volcanic basalt.
All the prominent ridges are, at least partly, characterised by volcanic features. Between the Hohe Meißner (754 m) and Kaufungen Forest (up to 643 m high) in the north, the Knüll
Knüll
Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested...
(636 m) in the centre, the Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
(773 m) in the southwest and the Rhön (950 m) in the southeast, there are numerous individual singularities which catalogue the volcanic activity between the two Central Uplands
Central Uplands
The Central Uplands is one of the three major natural regions of Germany and covers most of the land area of the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.- Formation :...
regions.
Location of geographical units
The northern part of this natural region includes the Fulda-Werra Highlands, with the Hohe Meißner and Kaufungen Forest, which descends to the Lower Werra Land in the northeast and into the Salzungen Werra Highlands in the southeast. In the southwest of the area are the KnüllKnüll
Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested...
Uplands, in the south the Fulda-Haune Plateau and in the southeast the Vorderrhön and Kuppenrhön (including the Landrücken) to the southeast, which run into the Hohe Rhön
Hohe Rhön
Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim....
still further to the southeast.
South of the Fulda-Haune Plateau and west of the Rhön are the Lower und High Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
hills, the former encircling the latter.
Hills (selection)
- WasserkuppeWasserkuppeThe Wasserkuppe is a high plateau , the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains within the German state of Hessen. Between the first and second World Wars, during the era of the so-called Golden Age of Aviation, great advances in sailplane development were made there.Remark: The German wording takes its...
(950,2 m, Hohe Rhön) - KreuzbergKreuzberg (Rhön)The Kreuzberg is one of the Rhön Mountains in southern Germany. It is about high and is located in the Bavarian part of the Rhön, in the province of Lower Franconia. The Kreuzberg — also referred to as the "sacred mountain of the Franconians" — is near the town of Bischofsheim an der Rhön in the...
(927,8 m, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Hohe Rhön) - DammersfeldkuppeDammersfeldkuppeAt the Dammersfeldkuppe in Bavaria is the second highest mountain after the Wasserkuppe in the Rhön, a low mountain range straddling the states of Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia in Germany.- Location :...
(927,9 m, Border of HesseHesseHesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Hohe Rhön) - HeidelsteinHeidelsteinHeidelstein is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
(925,7 m, Border of Hesse and Bavaria, Hohe Rhön) - MilseburgMilseburgThe Milseburg is an extinct volcano and the second highest mountain of the Rhön Mountains in Hesse, Germany. The mountain is located eastwards of Fulda, near the villages of Kleinsassen and Danzwiesen...
(835,2 m, Kuppenrhön) - TaufsteinTaufstein (Vogelsberg)Taufstein is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
(773,0 m, High VogelsbergVogelsbergVogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
) - Kasseler KuppeKasseler KuppeKasseler Kuppe is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
(753,6 m, Hohe Meißner) - Gebaberg (750,7 m, in the east the Thuringian Vorderen Rhön)
- PleßPleßPleß is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany....
(645,4 m, Salzunger Werra Highlands) - HirschbergHirschberg (Kaufunger Wald)Hirschberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
(643 m, Söhre)) - Bilstein (641,2 m, Kaufungen Forest)
- EisenbergEisenberg (Knüll)Eisenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
(635,5 m, KnüllKnüllKnüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested...
) - KnüllköpfchenKnüllköpfchenKnüllköpfchen is a mountain of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Hesse, Germany....
(633,8 m, Knüll) - RimbergRimberg (Knüll)Rimberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
(591,8 m, southeastern Knüll foothills in the Ottrau Highlands)
Rivers
The central river in the area is the Fulda, which runs from south to north and leaves the East Hesse Highlands just before its confluence with the Werra in the West Hesse DepressionWest Hesse Depression
The West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :...
. Left of the Fulda lie the Knüll
Knüll
Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested...
and Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
, right of it the major part of the Fulda-Werra Highlands and the Rhön.
Right hand tributaries of the middle and lower reaches of the Schwalm
Schwalm
The Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken...
, which lie almost entirely in the West Hesse Depression, drains the western part of the area, whilst left hand tributaries of the Werra
Werra
The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....
drain the east. Only the source of the Schwalm and the mouth of the Werra lie within the Highlands themselves.
The tributaries are also north of the Rhine-Weser watershed, apart from the Ohm the only tributary of the Lahn
Lahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
, which is clearly oriented in a south-to-north direction, whilst the streams running into the Main tributaries of the Nidda, Kinzig and Franconian Saale flow south.
Table of most important rivers
The most important rivers of the East Hesse Highlands are listed in the following table, in clockwise order, beginning on the north side of the Rhine-Weser watershed by the VogelsbergVogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
.
For a better overview or to see them listed in a downstream order, by river system, enter the DGKZ numbers after the number of the parent river followed by a dash.
River names and lengths listed in italics are those which clearly leave the region of the East Hesse Highlands (depressions on the perimeter excluded), where catchment areas and discharges are given in italics, it indicates that part of the catchment area is external and has significant tributaries from outside the East Hesse Highlands (see the notes below the table). Main rivers are linked if they are entirely located outside the area.
| Name |
Main river |
Length [km] |
Catchment area [km²] |
Discharge (MQ) [l/s] |
Source region |
Main geog. units |
DGKZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antreff | Schwalm (l) | 38.6 | 115.3 | 980 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 4288-2 |
| Schwalm Schwalm The Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken... |
Eder Eder The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti.... |
97.1 | 1,298.8 | 9,044 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 428-8 |
| Berfa | Schwalm (r) | 20.0 | 42.2 | 218 | Ottrau Highlands | 355.0 | 4288-16 |
| Grenff Grenff -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Schwalm (r) | 22.0 | 86.4 | 711 | Ottrau Highlands | 355.0 | 4288-32 |
| Efze Efze -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Schwalm (r) | 38.2 | 220.5 | 1,481 | Knüll Knüll Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested... |
356 | 4288-8 |
| Rohrbach Rohrbach (Fulda) Rohrbach is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Fulda (l) | 18.0 | 73.9 | 576 | Neuenstein-Ludwigseck Ridge | 357.0 | 42-714 |
| Geisbach Geisbach Geisbach is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Fulda (l) | 22.1 | 76.2 | 487 | Knüll Knüll Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested... |
356 | 42-596 |
| Aula Aula (river) Aula is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Fulda (l) | 22.6 | 124.8 | 919 | Knüll Knüll Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested... |
356 | 42-56 |
| Jossa Jossa (Fulda) Jossa is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Fulda (l) | 22.9 | 122.0 | 780 | Schlitzer Land | 355.1 | 42-54 |
| Schlitz Schlitz (river) Schlitz is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Fulda (l) | 43.3 | 314.6 | 3,715 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 42-4 |
| Lüder Lüder (river) Lüder is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Fulda (l) | 36.4 | 190.0 | 2,306 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 42-36 |
| Fliede Fliede -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Fulda (l) | 22.1 | 271.4 | 3,627 | Landrücken | 353.0 | 42-2 |
| Fulda Fulda River The Fulda is a river in Hesse, Germany. It is one of two headstreams of the Weser . The Fulda is 218 km in length.... |
Weser | 220.7 | 6,946,6 | 66,924 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 42 |
| Lütter | Fulda (r) | 17.5 | 50.7 | 672 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 42-14 |
| Haune Haune The Haune is a 64 km long river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Fulda. Its source is southeast of the town Fulda, in the Rhön Mountains. The Haune flows generally north through the towns Hünfeld, Burghaun and Haunetal. It flows into the Fulda in Bad Hersfeld.... * |
Fulda (r) | 66.5 | 499.0 | 4,113 | Kuppenrhön | 353.2 | 42-6 |
| Nüst Nüst -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Haune (r) | 22.8 | 97.2 | 1,029 | Kuppenrhön | 353.2 | 426-6 |
| Solz | Fulda (r) | 21.4 | 91.5 | 682 | Kuppenrhön | 353.2 | 42-712 |
| Ulfe Ulfe (Fulda) Ulfe is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Fulda (r) | 27.6 | 71.5 | 552 | Seulingswald | 357.2 | 42-72 |
| Pfieffe Pfieffe (Fulda) Pfieffe is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Fulda (r) | 21.5 | 117.1 | 1,235 | Stölzinger Hills | 357.4 | 42-78 |
| Losse Losse (river) Losse is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Fulda (r) | 28.9 | 120.6 | 1,418 | Stölzinger Hills | 357.4 | 42-96 |
| Nieste Nieste (river) Nieste is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Fulda (r) | 21.8 | 88.1 | 921 | Kaufungen Forest | 357.7 | 42-98 |
| Gelster Gelster -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Werra Werra The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser.... (l) |
18.2 | 60.6 | 771 | Söhre | 357.7 | 41-96 |
| Wehre Wehre -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... ** |
Werra Werra The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser.... (l) |
36.5 | 451.7 | 4,147 | Söhre | 357.7 | 41-8 |
| Taft Taft (Ulster) Taft is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... *** |
Ulster (l) | 11.8 | 61.6 | 564 | Kuppenrhön | 353.2 | 414-8 |
| Ulster Ulster Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial... |
Werra Werra The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser.... (l) |
55.5 | 421.0 | 5,279 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 41-4 |
| Weid Weid (Ulster) Weid is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Ulster (r) | 36.0 | 539 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 414-4 | |
| Felda | Werra Werra The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser.... (l) |
38.8 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 41-? | ||
| Streu Streu (river) Streu is a river of Bavaria, Germany.... |
Franconian Saale (r) | 35.5 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 244-2 | ||
| Brend Brend (river) The river Brend is a right-bank tributary of the Fränkische Saale , in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the district Rhön-Grabfeld.Its source is in Oberweißenbrunn, which is part of the town Bischofsheim... |
Franconian Saale (r) | 26.2 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 244-32 | ||
| Sinn Sinn (river) The Sinn is a river that flows through the state of Hesse and the Bavarian province of Lower Franconia in southern Germany. It is about long and is a right, northerly tributary of the Franconian Saale.- Course :... |
Fränkische Saale Fränkische Saale The Franconian Saale or is a 125 km long river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right-bank tributary of the Main, in Lower Franconia. It should not be confused with the larger Saxon Saale , which is a tributary of the Elbe River.... (r) |
61.1 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 244-8 | ||
| Schmale Sinn Schmale Sinn Schmale Sinn is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Sinn (r) | 27.6 | 103.6 | 1,439 | Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön Hohe Rhön is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Kaltensundheim.... |
354 | 2448-2 |
| Steinaubach | Kinzig | 23.2 | 64.8 | 798 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 2478-16 |
| Salz Salz (river) Salz is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Kinzig (r) | 29.8 | 91.3 | 1,219 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 2478-2 |
| Bracht Bracht (river) Bracht is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Kinzig (r) | 31.5 | 117.7 | 1,644 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 2478-4 |
| Seemenbach Seemenbach Seemenbach is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
NidThe (l) | 37.4 | 145.0 | 1,452 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 2486-6 |
| Nidder Nidder The Nidder is a 68 km river in Hesse, Germany, and part of the Main-Rhine system.From its source at Herchenhainer Höhe it flows down to Bad Vilbel where it meets with the Nidda.... |
Nidda (l) | 68.6 | 435.7 | 3,875 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 248-6 |
| Nidda | Main (r) | 89.7 | 1,942.4 | 13,065 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 24-8 |
| Horloff Horloff -See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Nidda (r) | 44.5 | 279.2 | 1,004 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 248-2 |
| Wetter Wetter (river) The Wetter is small 69km long river in Hesse, Germany and right tributary to the Nidda.After leaving the Vogelsberg mountain range the river flows through the Wetterau, a fertile landscape just north of Frankfurt, which is named after the river. The principal towns the river along the river are... |
Nidda (r) | 68.8 | 517.0 | 2,994 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 248-4 |
| Seenbach Seenbach Seenbach is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse... |
Ohm (l) | 18.3 | 96.5 | 1,288 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 2582-2 |
| Ohm | Lahn Lahn The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate .... |
59.7 | 983.8 | 7,950 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 258-2 |
| Felda Felda (Ohm) Felda is a river of Hesse, Germany.... |
Ohm (r) | 29.9 | 107.4 | 1,276 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... |
350/1 | 2582-4 |
(*: the source of the Haune lies, strictly speaking, still just in the Western Rhön Foreland, 353.1
**: the Wehre rises, strictly speaking, in the Rommerode Hills, 357.53, the eastern foreland of the Söhre)
***: the values for catchment area and discharge of the Taft are limited to the Hessian part and do not include its confluence area in Thuringia)
The following parts of the (catchment areas of the) rivers listed are not in the East Hesse Highlands:
- Antreff - entire middle and lower course in the Upper Hesse Ridge
- Schwalm - almost all left tributaries in various parts of the West Hesse HighlandsWest Hesse HighlandsThe West Hesse Highlands , also known as the West Hessian Lowlands and Highlands , refers to a heavily forested region of the Central Uplands in Germany that lies mostly within the state of Hesse, between those elements of the Rhine Massif right of the Rhine in the west, the Weser Uplands to the...
; river lies on the wester boundary of the area - Fulda - mouth lies on the northwestern border; left tributaries above the EderEderThe Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti....
lie outside; of the catchment area of the Eder, which is largely in the Rest-Fulda catchment area, only the right-hand tributaries of the Schwalm come from the East Hesse Highlands, whilst the Eder is fed by the West Hesse Highlands apart from the upper course which is fed by the SüderberglandSüderberglandThe Süderbergland , sometimes called the Südergebirge in German, is a major natural region of the Rhenish Massif in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and northwestern Hesse...
. - StreuStreu (river)Streu is a river of Bavaria, Germany....
- lower course in the GrabfeldGrabfeldThe Grabfeld is a region in Germany, on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia. It is situated southeast of the Rhön Mountains. Its highest elevation is 679 m . The Grabfeld gave its name to the Bavarian district Rhön-Grabfeld and the Thuringian municipality Grabfeld.... - BrendBrend (river)The river Brend is a right-bank tributary of the Fränkische Saale , in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the district Rhön-Grabfeld.Its source is in Oberweißenbrunn, which is part of the town Bischofsheim...
- middle and lower reaches lie, without major tributaries, in the part of the Südrhön belonging to the SpessartSpessartThe Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
region - SinnSinn (river)The Sinn is a river that flows through the state of Hesse and the Bavarian province of Lower Franconia in southern Germany. It is about long and is a right, northerly tributary of the Franconian Saale.- Course :...
- middle and lower courses lie in various parts of the Spessart - BrachtBracht (river)Bracht is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
and SeemenbachSeemenbachSeemenbach is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
- lower courses lie, without major tributaries, in the Büdingen Forest region of the Spessart - NidderNidderThe Nidder is a 68 km river in Hesse, Germany, and part of the Main-Rhine system.From its source at Herchenhainer Höhe it flows down to Bad Vilbel where it meets with the Nidda....
- from the Seemenbach on the it runs along the eastern boundary of the WetterauWetterauThe Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains....
to the Ronneburg Hills, but without any major tributaries - HorloffHorloff-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
- middle and lower reaches on the southeastern boundary; (only moderately sized) right tributaries from the Wetterau - Nidda - from the confluence with the Horloff it runs into the Wetterau; where it is joined by the Wetter and Nidder
- WetterWetter (river)The Wetter is small 69km long river in Hesse, Germany and right tributary to the Nidda.After leaving the Vogelsberg mountain range the river flows through the Wetterau, a fertile landscape just north of Frankfurt, which is named after the river. The principal towns the river along the river are...
- leaves the East Hesse Highlands shortly after its source and nimmt draws water from, inter alia, the TaunusTaunusThe Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
. - Ohm - from the confluence with the Felda it runs through various parts of the West Hesse HighlandsWest Hesse HighlandsThe West Hesse Highlands , also known as the West Hessian Lowlands and Highlands , refers to a heavily forested region of the Central Uplands in Germany that lies mostly within the state of Hesse, between those elements of the Rhine Massif right of the Rhine in the west, the Weser Uplands to the...
See also
- Natural regions of GermanyNatural regions of GermanyThis division of Germany into major natural regions takes account primarily of geomorphological, geological, hydrological and pedological criteria in order to divide the country into large, physical units with a common geographical basis...
- West Hesse HighlandsWest Hesse HighlandsThe West Hesse Highlands , also known as the West Hessian Lowlands and Highlands , refers to a heavily forested region of the Central Uplands in Germany that lies mostly within the state of Hesse, between those elements of the Rhine Massif right of the Rhine in the west, the Weser Uplands to the...
- West Hesse DepressionWest Hesse DepressionThe West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :...
General sources
- LAGIS: Geological map of Hesse
- BfN
- Map services
- Landscape fact file (by major units)
- 350 (Lower Vogelsberg)
- Lower Vogelsberg
- Giesel Forest (including "Fulda Foreland of the Vogelsberg")
- 351 (High Vogelsberg)
- 352 (Fuldaer Senke)
- 353 (Vorder- and Kuppenrhön (including Landrücken))
- 354 (Hohe Rhön)
- 355 (Fulda-Haune Plateau)
- Fulda-Haune Plateau (excluding Fulda Valley)
- Kämmerzell-Hersfeld Fulda Valley
- 356 (Knüll-Upland)
- Knüll (excluding Homberg Upland)
- Homberg Upland
- 357 (Fulda-Werra-Highlands)
- Fulda-Werra Highlands (excluding Kaufungen Forest, Meißner Region and Fulda Valley)
- Meißner Region
- Kaufungen Forest (excluding Söhre)
- Bebra-Melsungen Fulda Valley
- 358 (Lowe WerraHighlands)
- Lower Werra Country (excluding Lowe Werra Valley)
- Sooden-Allendorf and Witzenhausen-Hedemünden Werra Valley
- 359 (Salzunger WerraHighlands)
- Salzungen Werra Highlands (excluding Werra Valley)
- Salzungen-Herleshausen Werra Valley
- 350 (Lower Vogelsberg)