The Elm is a range of hills north of the Harz

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...

 mountains in the Helmstedt

Helmstedt (district)

Helmstedt is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the district of Wolfenbüttel, the City of Braunschweig, the District of Gifhorn, the City of Wolfsburg and the State of Saxony-Anhalt .-Geography:The district is bounded by the Elm in the west and the Lappwald in the east...

 and Wolfenbüttel

Wolfenbüttel (district)

Wolfenbüttel is a district in southeastern Lower Saxony, Germany. Neighboring districts are the district-free City of Braunschweig, the district of Helmstedt, the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts of Goslar, Hildesheim and Peine...

 districts of 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...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It has a length of about 25 km (15.5 mi) and a width of 3–8 km (2–5 mi) and rises to an elevation of 323 meters. Surrounded by the Northern European Lowlands

Northern European Lowlands

The North European Plain is a geomorphological region in Europe. It consists of the low plains between the Central European Highlands to the south and the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the north. These two seas are separated by the Jutland peninsula...

, the Elm is almost uninhabited and the largest beech

Beech

Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...

 forest in Northern Germany. The hills are of a triassic

Triassic

The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...

 limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 called Elmkalkstein. Together with the neighbouring Lappwald range, the Elm has been a protected area

Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...

 since 1977.

The Elm is a popular among hikers, cyclists, and motor cyclists.

Rivers originating in the Elm include:

• Altenau
  Altenau (Oker)
  The Altenau is a small river that rises in the Elm in central Germany, northeast of Eitzum and discharges from the right into the Oker near Halchter, a district of Wolfenbüttel.- Altenau valley :...
  
  
• Lutter
• Missaue
• Scheppau
  Scheppau
  The Scheppau is a stream in Lower Saxony, Germany, approximately 10 km long. It originates on the slope of the Elm hills and is a left tributary of the Schunter. It flows west and north of Königslutter and joins the Schunter in Glentorf, between Königslutter and Wolfsburg....
  
  
• Schunter
  Schunter
  The Schunter is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a length of 58 km, right tributary of the Oker. It originates in the Elm hills near Räbke west of Helmstedt, flows northward to Süpplingenburg, then turns westward and joins the Oker at Schwülper, downstream of Braunschweig...
  
  
• Wabe
  Wabe River
  Wabe River is a river of south-central Ethiopia. A tributary of the Omo River on the left side, it joins the parent stream at...
  
  

Towns on the edge of the Elm include:

• Königslutter
  Königslutter
  -External links:*...
  
  
• Schöningen
  Schöningen
  Schöningen is a town of about 13,000 inhabitants in the district of Helmstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located near the border with Saxony-Anhalt, on the southeastern rim of the Elm hill range...
  
  
• Schöppenstedt
  Schöppenstedt
  Schöppenstedt is a town in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southwest of the Elm, approx. 17 km east of Wolfenbüttel, and 21 km southeast of Braunschweig...
  
  

Sources

• Heinz-Bruno Krieger: Elmsagen. Oeding, Braunschweig-Schöppenstedt 1967.
• Heinz Röhr: Der Elm. Oeding, Braunschweig-Schöppenstedt 1962.