Steinernes Meer
Encyclopedia
The Steinernes Meer is a high karst plateau
in the Northern Limestone Alps
. As one of the nine sub-ranges of the Berchtesgaden Alps
the Steinernes Meer belongs partly to Bavaria
and partly to Salzburg.
stock and the Watzmann
, to the northeast lie the Hagengebirge and to the southeast the Hochkönig. It has an area of around 160 km², making it the largest massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps
. Of that, 55 square kilometres lies above 2,000 metres. To the south the mountains drop steeply into the Saalfelden Basin. Immediately at the foot of its northern slopes is the lake of Königssee
.
features characterise the scenery. Some 800 karst caves have been identified in the Steinernes Meer to date. Also typical is the distinctive plateau character of the Steinernes Meer above a height of 2,000 metres, which is well illustrated by two statistics. First, fifty - i.e. almost all - summits have a height of 2,000 to 2,600 m; only about ten are lower. Second, the average prominence and isolation
of the summits is low; only a few mountains rise significantly over the plateau. The name of the range means "rocky sea" and derives from the rocky and bare character of the plateau, its grey expanse recalling a fossilised sea.
The Bavarian half of the Steinernes Meer belongs to the Berchtesgaden National Park; the Austrian side to the Limestone Alps Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Kalkhochalpen).
and which is the emblem of the Berchtesgadener Land
. The far less well known Selbhorn (2,655 m) is slightly higher than the Schönfeldspitze jedoch and is the highest peak in the range. Other high and well-known summits include the Brandhorn (2,610 m), which forms the tripoint
of the Berchtesgadener Land with the Pinzgau and Pongau regions; the Großer Hundstod
(2,593 m), the Funtenseetauern
(2,578 m) and the Breithorn (2,504 m).
If a prominence of 30 metres is taken as the criterion in counting the number of peaks, there are at least 63 in the Steinernes Meer. 47 summits have a prominence of at least 50 metres, 22 have a prominence of over 100 metres, but only five over 200 metres.
Only about 20 peaks are accessible over a marked hiking path or climb. This indicates that tourists concentrate largely on a few destinations. Large parts of the plateau are places of absolute solitude; many peaks are only rarely if ever climbed.
The most important elevations in the Steinernes Meer, in order of height (incomplete list):
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The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic prominence:
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The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic isolation:
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The Steinernes Meer is a high karst plateau
in the Northern Limestone Alps
. As one of the nine sub-ranges of the Berchtesgaden Alps
the Steinernes Meer belongs partly to Bavaria
and partly to Salzburg.
stock and the Watzmann
, to the northeast lie the Hagengebirge and to the southeast the Hochkönig. It has an area of around 160 km², making it the largest massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps
. Of that, 55 square kilometres lies above 2,000 metres. To the south the mountains drop steeply into the Saalfelden Basin. Immediately at the foot of its northern slopes is the lake of Königssee
.
features characterise the scenery. Some 800 karst caves have been identified in the Steinernes Meer to date. Also typical is the distinctive plateau character of the Steinernes Meer above a height of 2,000 metres, which is well illustrated by two statistics. First, fifty - i.e. almost all - summits have a height of 2,000 to 2,600 m; only about ten are lower. Second, the average prominence and isolation
of the summits is low; only a few mountains rise significantly over the plateau. The name of the range means "rocky sea" and derives from the rocky and bare character of the plateau, its grey expanse recalling a fossilised sea.
The Bavarian half of the Steinernes Meer belongs to the Berchtesgaden National Park; the Austrian side to the Limestone Alps Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Kalkhochalpen).
and which is the emblem of the Berchtesgadener Land
. The far less well known Selbhorn (2,655 m) is slightly higher than the Schönfeldspitze jedoch and is the highest peak in the range. Other high and well-known summits include the Brandhorn (2,610 m), which forms the tripoint
of the Berchtesgadener Land with the Pinzgau and Pongau regions; the Großer Hundstod
(2,593 m), the Funtenseetauern
(2,578 m) and the Breithorn (2,504 m).
If a prominence of 30 metres is taken as the criterion in counting the number of peaks, there are at least 63 in the Steinernes Meer. 47 summits have a prominence of at least 50 metres, 22 have a prominence of over 100 metres, but only five over 200 metres.
Only about 20 peaks are accessible over a marked hiking path or climb. This indicates that tourists concentrate largely on a few destinations. Large parts of the plateau are places of absolute solitude; many peaks are only rarely if ever climbed.
The most important elevations in the Steinernes Meer, in order of height (incomplete list):
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The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic prominence:
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The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic isolation:
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The Steinernes Meer is a high karst plateau
in the Northern Limestone Alps
. As one of the nine sub-ranges of the Berchtesgaden Alps
the Steinernes Meer belongs partly to Bavaria
and partly to Salzburg.
stock and the Watzmann
, to the northeast lie the Hagengebirge and to the southeast the Hochkönig. It has an area of around 160 km², making it the largest massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps
. Of that, 55 square kilometres lies above 2,000 metres. To the south the mountains drop steeply into the Saalfelden Basin. Immediately at the foot of its northern slopes is the lake of Königssee
.
features characterise the scenery. Some 800 karst caves have been identified in the Steinernes Meer to date. Also typical is the distinctive plateau character of the Steinernes Meer above a height of 2,000 metres, which is well illustrated by two statistics. First, fifty - i.e. almost all - summits have a height of 2,000 to 2,600 m; only about ten are lower. Second, the average prominence and isolation
of the summits is low; only a few mountains rise significantly over the plateau. The name of the range means "rocky sea" and derives from the rocky and bare character of the plateau, its grey expanse recalling a fossilised sea.
The Bavarian half of the Steinernes Meer belongs to the Berchtesgaden National Park; the Austrian side to the Limestone Alps Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Kalkhochalpen).
and which is the emblem of the Berchtesgadener Land
. The far less well known Selbhorn (2,655 m) is slightly higher than the Schönfeldspitze jedoch and is the highest peak in the range. Other high and well-known summits include the Brandhorn (2,610 m), which forms the tripoint
of the Berchtesgadener Land with the Pinzgau and Pongau regions; the Großer Hundstod
(2,593 m), the Funtenseetauern
(2,578 m) and the Breithorn (2,504 m).
If a prominence of 30 metres is taken as the criterion in counting the number of peaks, there are at least 63 in the Steinernes Meer. 47 summits have a prominence of at least 50 metres, 22 have a prominence of over 100 metres, but only five over 200 metres.
Only about 20 peaks are accessible over a marked hiking path or climb. This indicates that tourists concentrate largely on a few destinations. Large parts of the plateau are places of absolute solitude; many peaks are only rarely if ever climbed.
The most important elevations in the Steinernes Meer, in order of height (incomplete list):
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The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic prominence:
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The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic isolation:
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Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
in the Northern Limestone Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...
. As one of the nine sub-ranges of the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
the Steinernes Meer belongs partly to 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...
and partly to Salzburg.
Location
To the northwest the Steinernes Meer borders on the HochkalterHochkalter
At , the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps is the highest peak in the massif of the same name and therefore one of the highest mountains in Germany. The massif is also called the Hochkaltergebirge, Hochkalterstock or Hochkaltermassiv....
stock and the Watzmann
Watzmann
The Watzmann is the third highest mountain in Germany, and the highest peak standing entirely within Germany. Its three main peaks are Hocheck , Mittelspitze and Südspitze .The Watzmann massive also includes the...
, to the northeast lie the Hagengebirge and to the southeast the Hochkönig. It has an area of around 160 km², making it the largest massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
. Of that, 55 square kilometres lies above 2,000 metres. To the south the mountains drop steeply into the Saalfelden Basin. Immediately at the foot of its northern slopes is the lake of Königssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
.
Landscape scenery
Dachstein limestone and karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
features characterise the scenery. Some 800 karst caves have been identified in the Steinernes Meer to date. Also typical is the distinctive plateau character of the Steinernes Meer above a height of 2,000 metres, which is well illustrated by two statistics. First, fifty - i.e. almost all - summits have a height of 2,000 to 2,600 m; only about ten are lower. Second, the average prominence and isolation
Topographic isolation
The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum horizontal distance to the nearest point of higher elevation. Topographic isolation represents a radius of dominance in which the summit is the highest point. Topographic isolation can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for...
of the summits is low; only a few mountains rise significantly over the plateau. The name of the range means "rocky sea" and derives from the rocky and bare character of the plateau, its grey expanse recalling a fossilised sea.
The Bavarian half of the Steinernes Meer belongs to the Berchtesgaden National Park; the Austrian side to the Limestone Alps Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Kalkhochalpen).
Peaks
The most distinctive and best-known peak in the Steinernes Meer is the Schönfeldspitze (2,653 m) on the southern edge on the Pinzgau side, whose summit pyramid is also visible from BerchtesgadenBerchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
and which is the emblem of the Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the district of Traunstein and by the state of Austria.- History :The alpine regions of the south were Bavarian territory from the early Middle Ages. The 11th and 12th centuries saw the founding of numerous mountain villages...
. The far less well known Selbhorn (2,655 m) is slightly higher than the Schönfeldspitze jedoch and is the highest peak in the range. Other high and well-known summits include the Brandhorn (2,610 m), which forms the tripoint
Tripoint
A tripoint, or trijunction , is a geographical point at which the borders of three countries or subnational entities meet....
of the Berchtesgadener Land with the Pinzgau and Pongau regions; the Großer Hundstod
Großer Hundstod
The Große Hundstod is, at 2,593 metres, one of the main peaks in the Steinernes Meer in the Berchtesgaden Alps, and lies on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian state of Salzburg.- Location :...
(2,593 m), the Funtenseetauern
Funtenseetauern
The Funtenseetauern is a 2,579 m high border peak between Germany and Austria on the northern edge of the Steinernes Meer, one of the nine massifs of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Funtenseetauern rises south of Berchtesgaden, its broad shoulder towering over the lakes of Königssee and Obersee...
(2,578 m) and the Breithorn (2,504 m).
If a prominence of 30 metres is taken as the criterion in counting the number of peaks, there are at least 63 in the Steinernes Meer. 47 summits have a prominence of at least 50 metres, 22 have a prominence of over 100 metres, but only five over 200 metres.
Only about 20 peaks are accessible over a marked hiking path or climb. This indicates that tourists concentrate largely on a few destinations. Large parts of the plateau are places of absolute solitude; many peaks are only rarely if ever climbed.
The most important elevations in the Steinernes Meer, in order of height (incomplete list):
- Selbhorn, 2,655 m
- Schönfeldspitze, 2,653 m
- Brandhorn, 2,609 m
- Großer HundstodGroßer HundstodThe Große Hundstod is, at 2,593 metres, one of the main peaks in the Steinernes Meer in the Berchtesgaden Alps, and lies on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian state of Salzburg.- Location :...
, 2,594 m - Langeck, 2,593 m
- FuntenseetauernFuntenseetauernThe Funtenseetauern is a 2,579 m high border peak between Germany and Austria on the northern edge of the Steinernes Meer, one of the nine massifs of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Funtenseetauern rises south of Berchtesgaden, its broad shoulder towering over the lakes of Königssee and Obersee...
, 2,578 m - Wildalmkirchl, 2.578 m
- Schareck, 2,567 m
- Poneck, 2,559 m
- Grießkogel, 2,543 m
- Graskopf, 2,519 m
- Wildalmrotkopf, 2,515 m
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- Breithorn, 2,504 m
- Mitterhorn, 2,491 m
- Wurmkopf, 2,451 m
- Reißhorn, 2,411 m
- Schindlkopf, 2,356 m
- Alpriedelhorn, 2,351 m
- Persailhorn, 2,347 m
- Schneiber, 2,330 m
- LaubwandLaubwandLaubwand is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,312 m - SchottmalhornSchottmalhorn (Steinernes Meer)The Schottmalhorn is a mountain in the Steinernes Meer in Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,232 m - ViehkogelViehkogelViehkogel is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,158 m>
The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic prominence:
- Großer Hundstod, 475 m
- Selbhorn, 408 m
- Schönfeldspitze, 384 m
- Breithorn, 327 m
- Funtenseetauern, 212 m>
The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic isolation:
- Selbhorn, 5.1 km
- Großer Hundstod, 4.5 km
- Funtenseetauern, 3.95 km
- Breithorn, 2.45 km
- Brandhorn, 2,4 km>
The Steinernes Meer is a high karst plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
in the Northern Limestone Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...
. As one of the nine sub-ranges of the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
the Steinernes Meer belongs partly to 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...
and partly to Salzburg.
Location
To the northwest the Steinernes Meer borders on the HochkalterHochkalter
At , the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps is the highest peak in the massif of the same name and therefore one of the highest mountains in Germany. The massif is also called the Hochkaltergebirge, Hochkalterstock or Hochkaltermassiv....
stock and the Watzmann
Watzmann
The Watzmann is the third highest mountain in Germany, and the highest peak standing entirely within Germany. Its three main peaks are Hocheck , Mittelspitze and Südspitze .The Watzmann massive also includes the...
, to the northeast lie the Hagengebirge and to the southeast the Hochkönig. It has an area of around 160 km², making it the largest massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
. Of that, 55 square kilometres lies above 2,000 metres. To the south the mountains drop steeply into the Saalfelden Basin. Immediately at the foot of its northern slopes is the lake of Königssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
.
Landscape scenery
Dachstein limestone and karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
features characterise the scenery. Some 800 karst caves have been identified in the Steinernes Meer to date. Also typical is the distinctive plateau character of the Steinernes Meer above a height of 2,000 metres, which is well illustrated by two statistics. First, fifty - i.e. almost all - summits have a height of 2,000 to 2,600 m; only about ten are lower. Second, the average prominence and isolation
Topographic isolation
The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum horizontal distance to the nearest point of higher elevation. Topographic isolation represents a radius of dominance in which the summit is the highest point. Topographic isolation can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for...
of the summits is low; only a few mountains rise significantly over the plateau. The name of the range means "rocky sea" and derives from the rocky and bare character of the plateau, its grey expanse recalling a fossilised sea.
The Bavarian half of the Steinernes Meer belongs to the Berchtesgaden National Park; the Austrian side to the Limestone Alps Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Kalkhochalpen).
Peaks
The most distinctive and best-known peak in the Steinernes Meer is the Schönfeldspitze (2,653 m) on the southern edge on the Pinzgau side, whose summit pyramid is also visible from BerchtesgadenBerchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
and which is the emblem of the Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the district of Traunstein and by the state of Austria.- History :The alpine regions of the south were Bavarian territory from the early Middle Ages. The 11th and 12th centuries saw the founding of numerous mountain villages...
. The far less well known Selbhorn (2,655 m) is slightly higher than the Schönfeldspitze jedoch and is the highest peak in the range. Other high and well-known summits include the Brandhorn (2,610 m), which forms the tripoint
Tripoint
A tripoint, or trijunction , is a geographical point at which the borders of three countries or subnational entities meet....
of the Berchtesgadener Land with the Pinzgau and Pongau regions; the Großer Hundstod
Großer Hundstod
The Große Hundstod is, at 2,593 metres, one of the main peaks in the Steinernes Meer in the Berchtesgaden Alps, and lies on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian state of Salzburg.- Location :...
(2,593 m), the Funtenseetauern
Funtenseetauern
The Funtenseetauern is a 2,579 m high border peak between Germany and Austria on the northern edge of the Steinernes Meer, one of the nine massifs of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Funtenseetauern rises south of Berchtesgaden, its broad shoulder towering over the lakes of Königssee and Obersee...
(2,578 m) and the Breithorn (2,504 m).
If a prominence of 30 metres is taken as the criterion in counting the number of peaks, there are at least 63 in the Steinernes Meer. 47 summits have a prominence of at least 50 metres, 22 have a prominence of over 100 metres, but only five over 200 metres.
Only about 20 peaks are accessible over a marked hiking path or climb. This indicates that tourists concentrate largely on a few destinations. Large parts of the plateau are places of absolute solitude; many peaks are only rarely if ever climbed.
The most important elevations in the Steinernes Meer, in order of height (incomplete list):
- Selbhorn, 2,655 m
- Schönfeldspitze, 2,653 m
- Brandhorn, 2,609 m
- Großer HundstodGroßer HundstodThe Große Hundstod is, at 2,593 metres, one of the main peaks in the Steinernes Meer in the Berchtesgaden Alps, and lies on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian state of Salzburg.- Location :...
, 2,594 m - Langeck, 2,593 m
- FuntenseetauernFuntenseetauernThe Funtenseetauern is a 2,579 m high border peak between Germany and Austria on the northern edge of the Steinernes Meer, one of the nine massifs of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Funtenseetauern rises south of Berchtesgaden, its broad shoulder towering over the lakes of Königssee and Obersee...
, 2,578 m - Wildalmkirchl, 2.578 m
- Schareck, 2,567 m
- Poneck, 2,559 m
- Grießkogel, 2,543 m
- Graskopf, 2,519 m
- Wildalmrotkopf, 2,515 m
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- Breithorn, 2,504 m
- Mitterhorn, 2,491 m
- Wurmkopf, 2,451 m
- Reißhorn, 2,411 m
- Schindlkopf, 2,356 m
- Alpriedelhorn, 2,351 m
- Persailhorn, 2,347 m
- Schneiber, 2,330 m
- LaubwandLaubwandLaubwand is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,312 m - SchottmalhornSchottmalhorn (Steinernes Meer)The Schottmalhorn is a mountain in the Steinernes Meer in Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,232 m - ViehkogelViehkogelViehkogel is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,158 m>
The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic prominence:
- Großer Hundstod, 475 m
- Selbhorn, 408 m
- Schönfeldspitze, 384 m
- Breithorn, 327 m
- Funtenseetauern, 212 m>
The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic isolation:
- Selbhorn, 5.1 km
- Großer Hundstod, 4.5 km
- Funtenseetauern, 3.95 km
- Breithorn, 2.45 km
- Brandhorn, 2,4 km>
The Steinernes Meer is a high karst plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
in the Northern Limestone Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...
. As one of the nine sub-ranges of the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
the Steinernes Meer belongs partly to 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...
and partly to Salzburg.
Location
To the northwest the Steinernes Meer borders on the HochkalterHochkalter
At , the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps is the highest peak in the massif of the same name and therefore one of the highest mountains in Germany. The massif is also called the Hochkaltergebirge, Hochkalterstock or Hochkaltermassiv....
stock and the Watzmann
Watzmann
The Watzmann is the third highest mountain in Germany, and the highest peak standing entirely within Germany. Its three main peaks are Hocheck , Mittelspitze and Südspitze .The Watzmann massive also includes the...
, to the northeast lie the Hagengebirge and to the southeast the Hochkönig. It has an area of around 160 km², making it the largest massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
. Of that, 55 square kilometres lies above 2,000 metres. To the south the mountains drop steeply into the Saalfelden Basin. Immediately at the foot of its northern slopes is the lake of Königssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
.
Landscape scenery
Dachstein limestone and karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
features characterise the scenery. Some 800 karst caves have been identified in the Steinernes Meer to date. Also typical is the distinctive plateau character of the Steinernes Meer above a height of 2,000 metres, which is well illustrated by two statistics. First, fifty - i.e. almost all - summits have a height of 2,000 to 2,600 m; only about ten are lower. Second, the average prominence and isolation
Topographic isolation
The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum horizontal distance to the nearest point of higher elevation. Topographic isolation represents a radius of dominance in which the summit is the highest point. Topographic isolation can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for...
of the summits is low; only a few mountains rise significantly over the plateau. The name of the range means "rocky sea" and derives from the rocky and bare character of the plateau, its grey expanse recalling a fossilised sea.
The Bavarian half of the Steinernes Meer belongs to the Berchtesgaden National Park; the Austrian side to the Limestone Alps Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Kalkhochalpen).
Peaks
The most distinctive and best-known peak in the Steinernes Meer is the Schönfeldspitze (2,653 m) on the southern edge on the Pinzgau side, whose summit pyramid is also visible from BerchtesgadenBerchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
and which is the emblem of the Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the district of Traunstein and by the state of Austria.- History :The alpine regions of the south were Bavarian territory from the early Middle Ages. The 11th and 12th centuries saw the founding of numerous mountain villages...
. The far less well known Selbhorn (2,655 m) is slightly higher than the Schönfeldspitze jedoch and is the highest peak in the range. Other high and well-known summits include the Brandhorn (2,610 m), which forms the tripoint
Tripoint
A tripoint, or trijunction , is a geographical point at which the borders of three countries or subnational entities meet....
of the Berchtesgadener Land with the Pinzgau and Pongau regions; the Großer Hundstod
Großer Hundstod
The Große Hundstod is, at 2,593 metres, one of the main peaks in the Steinernes Meer in the Berchtesgaden Alps, and lies on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian state of Salzburg.- Location :...
(2,593 m), the Funtenseetauern
Funtenseetauern
The Funtenseetauern is a 2,579 m high border peak between Germany and Austria on the northern edge of the Steinernes Meer, one of the nine massifs of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Funtenseetauern rises south of Berchtesgaden, its broad shoulder towering over the lakes of Königssee and Obersee...
(2,578 m) and the Breithorn (2,504 m).
If a prominence of 30 metres is taken as the criterion in counting the number of peaks, there are at least 63 in the Steinernes Meer. 47 summits have a prominence of at least 50 metres, 22 have a prominence of over 100 metres, but only five over 200 metres.
Only about 20 peaks are accessible over a marked hiking path or climb. This indicates that tourists concentrate largely on a few destinations. Large parts of the plateau are places of absolute solitude; many peaks are only rarely if ever climbed.
The most important elevations in the Steinernes Meer, in order of height (incomplete list):
- Selbhorn, 2,655 m
- Schönfeldspitze, 2,653 m
- Brandhorn, 2,609 m
- Großer HundstodGroßer HundstodThe Große Hundstod is, at 2,593 metres, one of the main peaks in the Steinernes Meer in the Berchtesgaden Alps, and lies on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian state of Salzburg.- Location :...
, 2,594 m - Langeck, 2,593 m
- FuntenseetauernFuntenseetauernThe Funtenseetauern is a 2,579 m high border peak between Germany and Austria on the northern edge of the Steinernes Meer, one of the nine massifs of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Funtenseetauern rises south of Berchtesgaden, its broad shoulder towering over the lakes of Königssee and Obersee...
, 2,578 m - Wildalmkirchl, 2.578 m
- Schareck, 2,567 m
- Poneck, 2,559 m
- Grießkogel, 2,543 m
- Graskopf, 2,519 m
- Wildalmrotkopf, 2,515 m
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- Breithorn, 2,504 m
- Mitterhorn, 2,491 m
- Wurmkopf, 2,451 m
- Reißhorn, 2,411 m
- Schindlkopf, 2,356 m
- Alpriedelhorn, 2,351 m
- Persailhorn, 2,347 m
- Schneiber, 2,330 m
- LaubwandLaubwandLaubwand is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,312 m - SchottmalhornSchottmalhorn (Steinernes Meer)The Schottmalhorn is a mountain in the Steinernes Meer in Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,232 m - ViehkogelViehkogelViehkogel is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, 2,158 m>
The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic prominence:
- Großer Hundstod, 475 m
- Selbhorn, 408 m
- Schönfeldspitze, 384 m
- Breithorn, 327 m
- Funtenseetauern, 212 m>
The most important summits in the Steinernes Meer, in order of orographic isolation:
- Selbhorn, 5.1 km
- Großer Hundstod, 4.5 km
- Funtenseetauern, 3.95 km
- Breithorn, 2.45 km
- Brandhorn, 2,4 km>