The Rhön Mountains are a group of low mountains in central Germany, located in the state of Hesse, close to its borders with Bavaria and Thuringia. They are the product of ancient volcanic activity and are separated from the Vogelsberg Mountains by the Fulda River and its valley. With an area of 21,110 km² and just over six million inhabitants, Hesse (German Hessen) is one of Germanys sixteen federal states (Bundesländer). ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... The Free State of Thuringia (German Freistaat Thüringen) lies in central Germany and is among the smaller of the countrys sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), with an area of 16,200 sq. ... A volcano is a geological landform (usually a mountain) where magma (rock of the earths interior made molten or liquid by high pressure and temperature) erupts through the surface of the planet. ... The Vogelsberg Mountains are a group of low mountains in central Germany, located in the middle of the state of Hessen. ... The Fulda is a river in Hesse, Germany. ...

These mountains are a popular tourist destination. Hikers come for the nearly 6,000 km (3,750 miles) of tracks through the picturesque scenery, and gliding enthusiasts have been drawn to the area since the early Twentieth century. More recently, farmstays are flourishing in the region. Beautiful natural scenes are common hiking destinations Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ... A modern glider crossing the finish line at speed Gliding (or soaring) is a recreational activity and competitive sport where individuals fly un-powered aeroplanes known as gliders or sailplanes. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ...

Since 1991, UNESCO has declared the Rhön a Biosphere Reserve on account of its unique high-altitude ecosystem. 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... A Biosphere Reserve is an international conservation designation for reserves designated by UNESCO under the MaB (Man and the Biosphere) Programme. ...

The peaks of the Rhön include:

• Wasserkuppe 950 m (3,110 ft),
• Kreuzberg (mountain) 928 m (3,040 ft)
• Schwabenhimmel 926 m (3,040 ft)
• Heidelstein 913 m (3,000 ft)
• Milseburg 835 m (2,740 ft)
• Feuerberg 832 m (2,730 ft)
• Ellenbogen 814 m (2,670 ft)

The Wasserkuppe (German: water peak) is a high plateau (elevation 950 m or 3100 ft), the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains within the German state of Hessen. ...

External links

• Rhön tourism portal (http://www.rhoen.de/eng/)
• The Rhön hiking club (in German) (http://www.rhoenklub.de)
• white pages and websites of Fulda and the hessian Rhön (in German) (http://www.fulda-osthessen.de)
• 360 degree virtual tour through the hessian rhoen (in German) (http://www.360-rhoen.de)