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Mountains
The Fichtelgebirge is a horseshoe shaped mountain range divided into four smaller ridge groups:
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The northwestern ridge with Schneeberg, Waldstein and Kornberg
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The southwestern ridge with Ochsenkopf, Königsheide and Kösseine
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The southeastern ridge with Steinwald, Reichsforst and Kohlwald
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and the inner plateau (Selb / Wunsiedel)
The four highest mountains are Schneeberg, Kösseine, Ochsenkopf and Waldstein.
The Kösseine
The Kösseine is 3079 ft. the above sea level. A nature preserve extends to the top and is 48 acres in size,
and there is also a so called sea of granite blocks. Several famous people visited the Kösseine. Among them
were the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm III. of Prussia with his wife Luise. At
the top there is a round look out tower and a guesthouse, which is a popular meeting place for folk musicans.
The Schneeberg
At 3447 ft. the Schneeberg is the highest mountain in the Fichtelgebirge. At the summit there is a sea of
granite blocks. The summit was declared off limits by the western powers in the Cold War. All that remains as
a reminder is a huge German forces watch tower. From the “Backöfele” (an old lookout tower made of wood)
you have a fantastic panoramic view of the entire Fichtelgebirge.
The Waldstein
The Waldstein (2877 ft.) has 50 acres of mixed wood lands, the ruins of an old castle and a well preserved
granite bear trap dating from the middle ages. There is also a rock formation called The Devil’s Table, where
legend has it that the devil played cards with ghosts and other diabolical beings. On the summit there is a
medieval chapel built around 1430.
The Ochsenkopf
The Ochsenkopf is with 3358 ft. the second highest mountain in the Fichtelgebirge. At the top there is the
broadcasting tower of the Bavarian radio and television network which is the distinctive feature of this
mountain. The mountain offers different activities throughout the year. In winter you can go skiing, and in
summer it is a paradise for hikers and mountain-bikers.