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Feldberg (Black Forest)
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It is not to be confused with the two smaller hills in Hochtaunuskreis district some 300 km to the North, Kleiner Feldberg (826 m) and Großer Feldberg (878 m).
The Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Black Forest and also of Germany outside the Alps; with an elevation of 1,493 metres. Besides the mountain gave its name to a local municipality situated below. Freiburg im Breisgau is the closest city.
Feldberg is situated south-east of Freiburg im Breisgau, surrounded by the communities of Hinterzarten, Titisee, Menzenschwand, Bernau and Todtnau.
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Encyclopedia
It is not to be confused with the two smaller hills in Hochtaunuskreis district some 300 km to the North, Kleiner Feldberg (826 m) and Großer Feldberg (878 m).
The Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Black Forest and also of Germany outside the Alps; with an elevation of 1,493 metres. Besides the mountain gave its name to a local municipality situated below. Freiburg im Breisgau is the closest city.
Environment
The Feldberg is situated south-east of Freiburg im Breisgau, surrounded by the communities of Hinterzarten, Titisee, Menzenschwand, Bernau and Todtnau. From the main peak 1,493 m there is a plateau leading 2 km in a south-east direction to the Seebuck peak (1,448 m). From this point, there is a deep valley in north-eastern direction which contains the Feldsee, a lake of glacial origin at about 1,000 m altitude. There are additional deep valleys around the Feldberg, such as the north-western Zastlertal and the south-western Wiesental.
The Feldberg can be reached by car via the B317 (federal highway) running from Titisee to Lörrach (Basel) across the Feldberg Pass. By train the highest station of a standard gauge track of the DB (Feldberg-Bärental, 967m) is able to be reached. From there exists a bus service.
The Seebuck peak (1,448m) can be reached from the valley station by a chairlift. Up there exists a tower. From this point the Feldberg peak is about 2km away. By the public the peak merely can be reached on foot.
The radio systems of Bundeswehr, the French and US Army from Cold War times got built down in the meantime. The Feldberg is discernible by the old and new television tower and the Bismarck memorial on the Seebuck.
Altogether there are more than 28 ski lifts and slopes around the Feldberg. The Feldberg peak itself is situated outside of any skiing areas. Several loipes around the peak and the Herzogenhorn opposite are siutable for cross-country skiing. It's all a popular area for skiing tours with slopes of alpine character.
For the most part the Feldberg area contents a nature reserve due to its subalpine vegetation. This reserve is the oldest and biggest one in Baden-Württemberg and is in charge of a full-time ranger since 1989. Since 2001 it's the responsibility of the Conservation Centre Südschwarzwald to look after the reserve. Within the Haus der Natur ("House of Nature") there's a permanent exhibition of nature conservation. It offers an extensive program with events in the reserve. Since 2005 there's also a new nature trail.
The Feldberg offers one of the most extensive panoramas of Germany - especially in winter at weather situations of inversion. In the west, on the other side of the Upper Rhine Graben you can see the entire Vosges Mountains from the Ballon d'Alsace up to Mont Donon and Mont Sainte-Odile. Beyond that you can also look up to the southern Palatinate Forest occasionally. In the north one can see the Hornisgrinde; in the north-east there's the entire range of the Swabian Alb including the Lemberg mountain, up to the left there's the Hegau volcano region.
In the south one can see the Alps from Alpspitze and Zugspitze in the east up to the Allgäu Alps, Verwall Alps, Silvretta, Säntis, Glarus Alps, Urner Alps, Bernese Alps and Mont Blanc in the west. Besides there are the Jura Mountains on the right next to the Alps.
Geology
The Bedrock contents of Gneiss. It's around one billion years old. All in all the Feldberg region got lifted up four times and washed away three times. What we see today can be called the „third Feldberg“. The „first Feldberg“ arose in the Precambrian and got washed away completely. The „second Feldberg“ arose during the Devonian and Carboniferous according to the Variscan orogeny. It got washed away once again during the Mesozoic and Early Triassic, Muschelkalk, Keuper, Lias, Dogger and Malm were deposited. One part of these sediments are maritime depositions from intercontinental oceans, the other are of continental source. The „third“ current Feldberg arose indirectly according to the Alpine orogeny in the Tertiary. Meanwhile these sediments got washed away more and more, so today you can see nearly nothing but the bedrock. Currently the Feldberg gets lifted, which is compensated by washing away; this erosion causes spacious surfaces.
Climate and vegetation
Climate
The annual mean temperature is around 3°C. The mean annual rainfall is 2,114 mm. The climate is sub-Atlantic, temperature gradients are lower than in the valley. During winter the condensation point is quite high caused by the long sunshine. While on the mountain it's relatively mild, in the valleys around one can notice significant colder temperatures. The deepest temperature ever measured is of February 10th, 1956 being -30.7°C. The years' average rain-/snowfall amount is 1909 mm. The only month to never have had snow recorded on the summit is August. Due to long years' average there's a blanket of snow in 157 days per year. Because of the exposed situation, there are wind speeds up to 130 km/h possible throughout the year.
Vegetation
The Feldberg peak isn't wooded as the name suggests. However, the sharp transition to forest illustrate it's no natural border. Even caused by the height the mountain wouldn't be woodless. In this region the tree line would occur only at about 1.650-1.700 m.
Many non-wooded places content the special qualities of the flora like moors, rock faces and snow fields. Below the peak there's a mixed forest consisting of beeches, European Rowans, spruces, silver firs and douglas-firs. Glades are due to human interventions. So one can see a big woodless area around every hamlet.
That is attributable to the intensive cattle farming in this region. The animals prevented further wood-growing. Today one come across both pioneer species like European Rowans and different sorts of shrubs there. On many places there are primeval forests being left to its own resources. A characteristic of the vegetation represent the moors.
Tourism
Summer
Today tourism is the main source of income in the Feldberg region.
The mountain is developed by several ran huts called Baldenweger Hütte, Rinkenhütte, Zastler Hütte, St.-Wilhelmer-Hütte and Todtnauer Hütte being connected by trails. Besides there are some asphalt drives to the inns and other local institutions around the peak. The number of visitors is quite high.
Winter
Feldberg is the biggest winter skiing resort in Germany outside of the Alps. The first ski lift ever was originally built in 1907 in the Feldberg area. Today, there are approximately 14 ski lifts (including 5 at the Seebuck, among them a six-seated chairlift) and over 50 km of alpine pistes with up to a black level of difficulty. If there's sufficient snow, even a snowpark may be installed. At the valley station there are several garages for snow groomers and other equipment. Below the old TV tower the mountain rescue service is guarded.
There are also many loipes to find around the peak; two of them are the highest ones of Baden-Württemberg. A part of the cross-country track Schonach-Belchen runs between the Feldberg and Seebuck.
Television towers
During the Cold War there were many antennas on a military tower at the peak, but these were removed some years ago. Today there is a big TV- and radio antenna, used by the local public station of SWR (Southwest Broadcasting). As well, one can recognize the mountain by the Bismarck-Denkmal, an old monument in honour of the famous 19th century chancellor of the German Empire.
Meteorological station
At the top of the mountain (where the weather is measured since 1915) is a weather observatory being in operation since 1937 and carried on by the German meteorological service (WMO code number: 10908). Next to the observatory there's a weather radar.
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