For our next long weekend, we decided to travel, but within our area, preferably the state of Hessen. The Rhön Region seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
The Rhön is a mountainous area that touches on three states in Germany: Hessen, Thuringia, and Bavaria. Tragically, the Rhön was separated along with the country in the 1960's, with the area in Thuringia going to Eastern Germany (or DDR, as it was known then) and the sectors in Bavaria and Hessen remaining in the west. Geographically, the Rhön is dead in the middle of Germany now that the country has been reunited. It's sad to think that such a gorgeous area could be the stage for numerous dramas that I'll touch on in another post.
The Rhön, as you would expect, has miles of hiking, and we reach the former border town of Hohenroda in the early afternoon. With a higher altitude come lower temperatures, and the mornings, in particular, are freezing, with temperatures in the mid to high 20's. We quickly realize there won't be any 10-mile hikes in this weather.
The mountains themselves rarely exceed 3,000 feet, but seem much higher due to an area that is inundated with dips, curves, and valleys. Surprisingly, the population is rather sparse in the area, the next biggest town is Fulda in Hessen, a small but stunning city of about 200,000. Our hotel is located near the Soisberg, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the area.
The hiking (and biking) paths are user-friendly, it would appear that you couldn't get lost in these parts until you realize that, as reported above, this is not a heavily populated area. Some of the roads lead directly through thick woods and would be pressed to accommodate two vehicles traveling in opposite directions. This is not where you want to run out of fuel. For the most part, we enjoy a lazy weekend thanks to the weather.
If this is how the place looks like in late autumn, we can't wait to see it in the spring. One thing we won't miss, even with the bitter cold weather, is our tribute to a historic monument that I can still remember quite vividly. That would be Camp Point Alpha, a U.S. observation point located along the former border between east and west. This would send a chill down my spine that even the brutal winds here fail to match.
The Rhön is a mountainous area that touches on three states in Germany: Hessen, Thuringia, and Bavaria. Tragically, the Rhön was separated along with the country in the 1960's, with the area in Thuringia going to Eastern Germany (or DDR, as it was known then) and the sectors in Bavaria and Hessen remaining in the west. Geographically, the Rhön is dead in the middle of Germany now that the country has been reunited. It's sad to think that such a gorgeous area could be the stage for numerous dramas that I'll touch on in another post.
The Rhön, as you would expect, has miles of hiking, and we reach the former border town of Hohenroda in the early afternoon. With a higher altitude come lower temperatures, and the mornings, in particular, are freezing, with temperatures in the mid to high 20's. We quickly realize there won't be any 10-mile hikes in this weather.
The mountains themselves rarely exceed 3,000 feet, but seem much higher due to an area that is inundated with dips, curves, and valleys. Surprisingly, the population is rather sparse in the area, the next biggest town is Fulda in Hessen, a small but stunning city of about 200,000. Our hotel is located near the Soisberg, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the area.
The hiking (and biking) paths are user-friendly, it would appear that you couldn't get lost in these parts until you realize that, as reported above, this is not a heavily populated area. Some of the roads lead directly through thick woods and would be pressed to accommodate two vehicles traveling in opposite directions. This is not where you want to run out of fuel. For the most part, we enjoy a lazy weekend thanks to the weather.
If this is how the place looks like in late autumn, we can't wait to see it in the spring. One thing we won't miss, even with the bitter cold weather, is our tribute to a historic monument that I can still remember quite vividly. That would be Camp Point Alpha, a U.S. observation point located along the former border between east and west. This would send a chill down my spine that even the brutal winds here fail to match.
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