The Ebbegebirge is a ridge of hills up to high in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

. It has given its name to the Ebbegebirge Nature Park and is part of the Süderbergland

Süderbergland

The 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...

 range of hills within the Rhine Massif.

Location

The Ebbegebirge lies in the Sauerland

Sauerland

The Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...

 in the districts of Märkischer Kreis

Märkischer Kreis

The Märkischer Kreis is a district in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Unna, Soest, Hochsauerland, Olpe, Oberbergischer Kreis, Ennepe-Ruhr, and the city of Hagen.-History:...

 and Olpe. It stretches between Herscheid

Herscheid

Herscheid is a municipality in the southern Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Herscheid is located in the Ebbegebirge , a part of the Sauerland mountains. Altitudes in the municipality extend from 250m above sea level in the valley of the Schwarze Ahe up to the highest...

 and Plettenberg

Plettenberg

Plettenberg is a town in the Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Plettenberg is located in the east of the Sauerland hills. The highest elevation of the city area is in the Ebbegebirge with 593 m above sea level, the lowest elevation with 194 m near Teindeln...

 (outside the area) in the north, Attendorn

Attendorn

Attendorn is a German town in the Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia.As of 2008 it had a population of 24, 801.- History :The town’s location was favoured by the good climate in the Attendorn-Elsper Limestone Double Basin , the fruitful soil and favourable transport potential, and was already...

 and Finnentrop

Finnentrop

Finnentrop is a community in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Finnentrop lies near the forks of the rivers Bigge and Lenne in the Sauerland and is divided into the following constituent communities:- History :...

 (outside the area) in the east, the Biggesee

Biggesee

The Biggesee or Bigge Reservoir is a reservoir in Germany. It lies in the southern part of the Sauerland between Olpe and Attendorn.- Purpose :The lake serves to regulate the Ruhr and Lenne as well as providing water for the Ruhrgebiet...

 in the south and Kierspe

Kierspe

Kierspe is a town in the district Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at the western edge of the Sauerland on Volme River.-History:...

 and Meinerzhagen

Meinerzhagen

Meinerzhagen is a town in the Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Meinerzhagen is located in the hills of the Sauerland. The highest elevation is the Nordhelle with 663 m above sea level, the lowest elevation at the Lister dam with 319m...

 in the west, where the Ebbegebirge is surrounded by the Ebbegebirge Nature Park. It is grazed by the A 45

Bundesautobahn 45

is an autobahn in Germany, connecting Dortmund in the west with Aschaffenburg in the southwest. It is colloquially known by its byname Sauerlandlinie, which derives from the Sauerland, the landscape which said autobahn is running through between the cities of Hagen and Siegen. Many people think of...

 motorway in the west.

Hills

The highest elevation in the Ebbegebirge is the Nordhelle  between Valbert and Herscheid. Other notable hills are the: Rehberg (645.9 m), Rüenhardt (636.0 m), Waldberg (ca. 635 m), Rothenstein (ca. 600 m), Der Griesing (552,6 m), Homert (538,3 m) and Kahler Kopf (540.1 m).

Rivers and lakes

The following rivers rise in the Ebbegebirge or around its edges: the Bruchbach, Else

Else (Lenne)

Else is a river of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....

, Fürwigge, Ihne

Ihne (river)

Ihne is a river of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....

, Lister, Oesterbach, Verse and Volme

Volme

The Volme is a river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the left tributary of the Ruhr. It is 49.8 km long, of which 21.3 km lie within the city limits of Hagen....

. Within the Ebbegebirge and its foothills are the Ahaus Reservoir, the Biggesee

Biggesee

The Biggesee or Bigge Reservoir is a reservoir in Germany. It lies in the southern part of the Sauerland between Olpe and Attendorn.- Purpose :The lake serves to regulate the Ruhr and Lenne as well as providing water for the Ruhrgebiet...

 and the Fürwigge, Jubach, Lister, Oester and Verse Dams.

External links

• Ebbegebirge Nature Park