Achtermannshöhe
Encyclopedia
At , the Achtermannshöhe (also just called the Achtermann) in the Harz National Park
is the third highest mountain
in Lower Saxony
and the fourth highest in the Harz mountains
.
It lies in the unparished area
of Harz between the Harz-Heide route (B 4
) and the old Inner German Border about 6 km north of Braunlage
. Its summit, covered with loose boulders, stands proud of the surrounding trees and offers a superb all-round view. Equally its characteristic rounded hilltop or Kuppe is visible in good weather from many other points in the Harz.
The Achtermann may be accessed by paths leading from Oderbrück
and Königskrug.
massif of the Brocken, which extends across a wide area between Wurmberg
, Torfhaus
and Elend. By contrast, the rocky, treeless Kuppe of the Achtermann comprises hornfels
, a contact metamorphic
rock. The hornstone on the summit has a depth of about
10 m and was formed from Grauwacke as it was heated during the intrusion of granitic magma
.
Harz National Park
The Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises large portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes...
is the third highest mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in 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...
and the fourth highest in the Harz mountains
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
.
It lies in the unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
of Harz between the Harz-Heide route (B 4
Bundesstraße 4
The Bundesstraße 4 is a German federal highway running in a northwesterly to southly direction from the state of Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria...
) and the old Inner German Border about 6 km north of Braunlage
Braunlage
Braunlage is a town and health resort in the Goslar district in Lower Saxony in Germany. It lies within the Harz mountain range, south of the Brocken.Nowadays Braunlage's main business is tourism, particularly ski tourists...
. Its summit, covered with loose boulders, stands proud of the surrounding trees and offers a superb all-round view. Equally its characteristic rounded hilltop or Kuppe is visible in good weather from many other points in the Harz.
The Achtermann may be accessed by paths leading from Oderbrück
Sankt Andreasberg
Sankt Andreasberg is a town and a former municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 November 2011, it is part of the town Braunlage. It is situated in the Harz, approximately 7 km west of Braunlage proper, and 20 km east of Osterode am Harz.- History :Sankt...
and Königskrug.
Geology
The base of the Achtermannshöhe is part of the graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
massif of the Brocken, which extends across a wide area between Wurmberg
Wurmberg (Harz)
At the Wurmberg is the second highest mountain in the Harz and the highest in Lower Saxony .- Geography :The Wurmberg lies north of Braunlage, in the district of Goslar, and west of Schierke. Its summit is located due south of the Brocken and roughly 400 m south of the state border with...
, Torfhaus
Torfhaus
Torfhaus is a village in the borough of the mining town of Altenau in the Harz mountains of Germany and lies at a height of about .This small settlement consists mainly of restaurants, youth hostels, ski huts and large car parks. It is the highest settlement in Lower Saxony...
and Elend. By contrast, the rocky, treeless Kuppe of the Achtermann comprises hornfels
Hornfels
Hornfels is the group designation for a series of contact metamorphic rocks that have been baked and indurated by the heat of intrusive igneous masses and have been rendered...
, a contact metamorphic
Metamorphism
Metamorphism is the solid-state recrystallization of pre-existing rocks due to changes in physical and chemical conditions, primarily heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids. Mineralogical, chemical and crystallographic changes can occur during this process...
rock. The hornstone on the summit has a depth of about
10 m and was formed from Grauwacke as it was heated during the intrusion of granitic magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
.