Hainleite
Encyclopedia
The Hainleite is a Muschelkalk
ridge of hills up to in northern Thuringia
, Germany
.
in Nordhausen district, Sondershausen
in Kyffhäuser district
, Bad Frankenhausen
, Dingelstädt
, Oldisleben
, Kindelbrück
and Schernberg
. It is bordered to the north by the Kyffhäuser Hills on the other side of the Wipper
, to the east – beyond the so-called Thuringian Gate
, a gorge carved out by the Unstrut
near little Sachsenburg – by the Schmücke
and the Hohe Schrecke
, and to the south and southwest by the Thuringian Basin
.
and Muschelkalk
.
To the north the Hainleite falls relatively steeply into the valley of the Wipper (about 200–163 m), which joins the Unstrut
at Sachsenburg
. To the south the dip slope of the Hainleite descends relatively gently into the Erfurt Lowland (Erfurter Tiefebene, part of the Thuringian Basin
).
The vegetation on the Hainleite is characterised by mixed woods and, especially in the east, by dense beech forest. The undergrowth below the trees is dominated by Perlgras and Martagon lilies. Species of orchid abound on the open Muschelkalk slopes.
The region north of the Hainleite in the valley of the Wipper between Bad Frankenhausen
and Artern is also known as the Diamond Meadow (Diamantene Aue).
, the Hainleite is nevertheless a popular walking area. In the area of the district town of Sondershausen alone there are over 30 walking routes. The following well-known trails run from west to east over the crest of the Hainleite:
Tourist centres are:
and Sondershausen. The area can be approached by car from the north on the A 38 motorway and B 80 road and from the south by the A 4. The B 4
and B 85
roads run directly over the Hainleite and link the two trunk routes. The north-south link will be improved when the A 71
is completed; currently it only runs from the A 4 near Erfurt
as far as Sömmerda
.
Muschelkalk
The Muschelkalk is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic age and forms the middle part of the Germanic Trias, that further consists of the Buntsandstein and Keuper...
ridge of hills up to in northern Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, 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...
.
Geography
This heavily-wooded landscape lies between BleicherodeBleicherode
Bleicherode is a town in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Wipper, 17 km southwest of Nordhausen. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Obergebra was incorporated by Bleicherode. Every Thursday, there is a market held in the town.One of...
in Nordhausen district, Sondershausen
Sondershausen
Sondershausen is a town in Thuringia, Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km north of Erfurt. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was incorporated by Sondershausen....
in Kyffhäuser district
Kyffhäuserkreis
The Kyffhäuserkreis is a district in the northern part of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Mansfeld-Südharz, Saalekreis und Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts Sömmerda, Unstrut-Hainich and Eichsfeld.-History:...
, Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen is a spa town in the German state of Thuringia. It is located at the southern slope of the Kyffhäuser mountain range, on an artificial arm of the Wipper river, a tributary of the Saale. Because of the nearby Kyffhäuser monument dedicated to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, it is...
, Dingelstädt
Dingelstädt
Dingelstädt is a Thuringian city in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-History:Anton Thraen the German astronomer, minister and native of Holungen died in Dingelstädt on February 18, 1902 .-Twin towns - Sister cities:Dingelstädt is twinned with:...
, Oldisleben
Oldisleben
Oldisleben is a municipality in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, Germany....
, Kindelbrück
Kindelbrück
Kindelbrück is a town in the district of Sömmerda, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Wipper, 12 km north of Sömmerda....
and Schernberg
Schernberg
Schernberg is a former municipality in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 December 2007, it is part of the town Sondershausen....
. It is bordered to the north by the Kyffhäuser Hills on the other side of the Wipper
Wipper (Unstrut)
The Wipper is a river in Thuringia, Germany, left tributary of the Unstrut. It originates in the Eichsfeld area, northwestern Thuringia, near Leinefelde-Worbis. The total length of the Wipper is 95 km. The Wipper joins the Unstrut near Heldrungen. Towns along the Wipper include Bleicherode and...
, to the east – beyond the so-called Thuringian Gate
Thuringian Gate
The Thuringian Gate near Sachsenburg, a district of Oldisleben, west of Heldrungen in central Germany, is where the gorge of the river Unstrut breaks out of the Thuringian Basin through the Hainleite and Schmücke hills to the north. It is also known as the Sachsenburg Gate.This topographical...
, a gorge carved out by the Unstrut
Unstrut
The Unstrut is a river in Germany and a left tributary of the Saale. It originates in northern Thuringia near Dingelstädt and its catchment area is the whole of the Thuringian Basin...
near little Sachsenburg – by the Schmücke
Schmücke
- Geography :Together with the Hohe Schrecke, the Finne and the Hainleite, the Schmücke borders the northern rim of the Thuringian Basin. It lies between Hauteroda, Oberheldrungen, Heldrungen, Heldrungen station, Gorsleben and Hemleben...
and the Hohe Schrecke
Hohe Schrecke
The Hohe Schrecke is a ridge of hills in central Germany. It lies mainly within Thuringia; the southeastern part around Lossa belongs to the state of Saxony-Anhalt.-Geography:...
, and to the south and southwest by the Thuringian Basin
Thuringian Basin
The Thuringian Basin is a depression in the central and northwest part of Thuringia in Germany which is crossed by several rivers, the longest of which is the Unstrut. It stretches about from north to south and around from east to west...
.
Important towns
- SondershausenSondershausenSondershausen is a town in Thuringia, Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km north of Erfurt. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was incorporated by Sondershausen....
, capital of Kyffhäuser district - Bad FrankenhausenBad FrankenhausenBad Frankenhausen is a spa town in the German state of Thuringia. It is located at the southern slope of the Kyffhäuser mountain range, on an artificial arm of the Wipper river, a tributary of the Saale. Because of the nearby Kyffhäuser monument dedicated to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, it is...
Hills
The highest elevation is the point located in the western part of the Hainleite between Immenrode and Straußberg. Other hills include the Possen , the Heidelberg and the Kuhberg .Geology and landscape
The underlying rock consists of red sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and Muschelkalk
Muschelkalk
The Muschelkalk is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic age and forms the middle part of the Germanic Trias, that further consists of the Buntsandstein and Keuper...
.
To the north the Hainleite falls relatively steeply into the valley of the Wipper (about 200–163 m), which joins the Unstrut
Unstrut
The Unstrut is a river in Germany and a left tributary of the Saale. It originates in northern Thuringia near Dingelstädt and its catchment area is the whole of the Thuringian Basin...
at Sachsenburg
Sachsenburg
Sachsenburg is a market town on the Drava river in the Spittal an der Drau district in Carinthia, Austria. The municipality comprises the Katastralgemeinden of Sachsenburg and Obergottesfeld.-History:...
. To the south the dip slope of the Hainleite descends relatively gently into the Erfurt Lowland (Erfurter Tiefebene, part of the Thuringian Basin
Thuringian Basin
The Thuringian Basin is a depression in the central and northwest part of Thuringia in Germany which is crossed by several rivers, the longest of which is the Unstrut. It stretches about from north to south and around from east to west...
).
The vegetation on the Hainleite is characterised by mixed woods and, especially in the east, by dense beech forest. The undergrowth below the trees is dominated by Perlgras and Martagon lilies. Species of orchid abound on the open Muschelkalk slopes.
The region north of the Hainleite in the valley of the Wipper between Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen is a spa town in the German state of Thuringia. It is located at the southern slope of the Kyffhäuser mountain range, on an artificial arm of the Wipper river, a tributary of the Saale. Because of the nearby Kyffhäuser monument dedicated to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, it is...
and Artern is also known as the Diamond Meadow (Diamantene Aue).
Walking
Although not as well-known as the Thuringian ForestThuringian Forest
The Thuringian Forest running northwest to southeast, forms a continuous stretch of ancient rounded mountains posing ample difficulties in transit routing save through a few navigable passes in the southern reaches of the German state of Thuringia. It is about long and wide...
, the Hainleite is nevertheless a popular walking area. In the area of the district town of Sondershausen alone there are over 30 walking routes. The following well-known trails run from west to east over the crest of the Hainleite:
- The Barbarossa trail (Barbarossaweg) from (KorbachKorbachKorbach is the district seat of Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany. It is over a thousand years old and a former Hanseatic town. It is located on the German Framework Road.- Geography and geology :...
, Hessen) to KyffhäuserKyffhäuserThe Kyffhäuser is a range of hills located on the border of the German state of Thuringia with Saxony-Anhalt. It stands on the southern edge of the Harz. The range has a length of and a width of . It reaches its highest point at the Kulpenberg , situated in Thuringia... - The Hainleite trail (Hainleitewanderweg, no. S2) from Friedrichroda to Sachsenburg
- The main trail (Hauptwanderweg) EisenachEisenachEisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
–Sondershausen–Kyffhäuser–WernigerodeWernigerodeWernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
Economy
The Hainleite is mainly used for forestry due to the quality of its woods. But tourism also plays an important role.Tourist centres are:
- Teich Valley Recreation Park (Erholungszentrum Teichtal) near Hainrode
- Sondershausen with its castle
- Straußberg Adventure Park (Erlebnispark Straußberg) with its monkey forest and SommerrodelbahnSommerrodelbahnA Sommerrodelbahn is a form of dry toboggan run. Located on the side of a steep hill, it may consist of a track or rail upon which cars or carriages run downhill at high speed or simply a concave concrete trough down which participants slide on plastic 'toboggans'.An example of a Sommerrodelbahn...
- Possen Hunting Lodge Recreation Park (Erholungszentrum Jagdschloss PossenErholungszentrum), near Sondershausen with bungalows and the historic Possen tower (newly renovated – the highest timber-framed tower in Germany)
- Bad FrankenhausenBad FrankenhausenBad Frankenhausen is a spa town in the German state of Thuringia. It is located at the southern slope of the Kyffhäuser mountain range, on an artificial arm of the Wipper river, a tributary of the Saale. Because of the nearby Kyffhäuser monument dedicated to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, it is...
spa town (near the Kyffhäuser monument)
Transport
The Hainleite area has good road and rail access. The railway network links the towns of NordhausenNordhausen
Nordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
and Sondershausen. The area can be approached by car from the north on the A 38 motorway and B 80 road and from the south by the A 4. The 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 B 85
Bundesstraße 85
The Bundesstraße 85 runs southeast through Thuringia and Bavaria, from Kyffhäuser to Passau, near the Austrian border. B85 is approximately long.Cities and towns along B85:...
roads run directly over the Hainleite and link the two trunk routes. The north-south link will be improved when the A 71
Bundesautobahn 71
is an Autobahn under construction in Germany. When completed, it will connect the A 38 and Erfurt to the A 70 near Schweinfurt.Construction on the A 71, supervised by DEGES, began in 1996, most parts were being opened by December 2005. Completion is projected for 2008...
is completed; currently it only runs from the A 4 near Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
as far as Sömmerda
Sömmerda
Sömmerda is a town near Erfurt in Thuringia, Germany, on the Unstrut river. It is the capital of the district of Sömmerda.-History:Archeological digs in the area that is now Sömmerda, formerly Leubingen, have uncovered prominently buried human remains dating to around 2000 BCE...
.
Literature
- Harald Rockstuhl: Sagenbuch vom Dün aus dem Helbetal und von der Hainleite in Thüringen, Verlag Rockstuhl, Bad Langensalza, 2005, ISBN 3-937135-71-5