West Hesse Highlands
Encyclopedia
The West Hesse Highlands , also known as the West Hessian Lowlands and Highlands (Westhessisches Berg- und Senkenland), refers to a heavily forested region of the Central Uplands
in Germany that lies mostly within the state of Hesse
, between those elements of the Rhine Massif right of the Rhine in the west, the Weser Uplands to the north, the East Hesse Highlands
to the east and the Wetterau
to the south.
The West Hesse Highlands are one of the major natural regions of Germany
(no. 34 or D46) and are part of the Central European Uplands as well as being the watershed between the Rhine and the Weser.
The West and East Hesse Highlands or Hesse Highlands correspond to the geological unit known as the Hesse Depression (Hessischen Senke), in its wider sense, because here geologically young layers of Zechstein
and Bunter sandstone, and in places even younger rocks like Muschelkalk
, of the Jurassic
and Tertiary
periods, have been preserved.
, which continue along the eastern edge of the Rhenish Massif as far as the Upper Weser Hills
, form highlands and lowlands here that merge into the volcanic East Hesse Highlands
beyond the West Hesse Depression
on their eastern perimeter. The ridges never attain the height of the loftiest peaks of the highlands to the east and west.
Although the two highland areas of this Central Uplands
region reach heights of 675 m (Kellerwald
) and 615 m (Habichtswald
), the typical height of the ridges is more like 400 m. Between them, there are large river valleys and depressions, in places up to 200 m lower.
highlands, which are up to 615 m high, in the north are separated from the peaks of the Waldeck Plateau (Waldeck Plateau) to the west, generally between 400 und 500 m high, by the East Waldeck Basin (East Waldeck Basin). Immediately south of the plateau is the 675 m high Kellerwald
. The latter runs away to the south, splitting into two ridges mainly around 400 m high: the Burgwald
, to the southwest, and the Upper Hessian Ridge to the south.
South of the Burgwald
is the Marburg
-Gießen
Lahn
Valley to the west (up to 380 m high near the Lahnberge) and the Amöneburg Basin to the east, which is flat apart from the singularity of the 365 m high Amöneburg
itself. The basin rises southwards into the 405 m high (Lumda Plateau) Vogelsberg foothills. In the far east, the West Hesse Depression runs alongside almost all the ridges mentioned, following the valleys of the Schwalm
(south) and Eder
(north).
The northern part of the Burgwald
, the southwestern Kellerwald
and the Upper Hessian Ridge form part of the Rhine-Weser watershed and link the Rothaargebirge
with the Vogelsberg
.
The many depressions in the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands have led to a build up of loess
soils, which is why arable farming is widespread here.
: the Diemel
(only right-hand tributaries, north), Eder
(middle) and Lahn
(only left-hand tributaries and river valley, south). Whilst the two rivers of the Weser river system in the extreme northeast (Diemel) and east (Eder) discharge into the West Hesse Depression, the Lahn leaves the Highlands after following a semi-circular course and heads southwest into the Rhine Massif again.
The right-hand tributaries of the Wetter
, a tributary of the Nidda and thus part of the Main river system, only enter a small part of the Vogelsberg foothills in the extreme southeast. In addition, a few left tributaries of the Fulda
from the Habichtswald highlands join the Fulda itself just below the Eder confluence.
For a better overview or to sort them downstream based on the river system, enter the following DGKZ code numbers after the number 44 - Diemel, 428 - Eder, 24 - Fulda, 258 - Lahn and 2484 - Wetter.
Natural regions in italics are those outside the West Hesse Highlands; catchment areas and discharge quantities are given in italics where they only represent part of the total value (see footnotes below the table)!
(*: Edersee
tributaries); **: Catchment area and discharge somewhat larger than given in the table, because the lower courses are combined with the Fulda sections; ***: Discharge value excluding confluence region in NRW
)
und Ohm
have a special role. They both emerge in the Vogelsberg
, which the Ohm leaves after about 45 % of its total length and 27 % of its catchment area with roughly 35 % of its volume (see also here
). The Schwalm, on the other hand, leaves the Vogelsberg much earlier and receives about half its water volume at its mouth from right-hand tributaries from the East Hesse Highlands
.
Because the river systems of both rivers drain several major areas, they may be considered more or less as major rivers.
Rivers which enter the Schwalm from the left out of the West Hesse Highlands include the following:
Significant tributaries from the middle and lower courses of the Ohm are:
Other rivers crossing the boundary of this natural region are the Twiste in the northwest, the Kleebach
in the southwest and the Wetschaft
in the west.
The Wetschaft, which is fed from the left by the Burgwald, receives more water at its confluence with the Treisbach (r, 16,8 km, 68,2 km²) flowing out of the Rothaargebirge
(810 l/s) than it delivers to that point (666,2 l/s), despite the fact that it has already been fed from the right by the East Sauerland Hills
The Kleebach on the other hand draws most of its water from the Eastern Hintertaunus, only receiving a small quantity of water from the Vogelsberg foothills via its right-hand stream, the Lückenbach
(12,0 km, 38,9 km², 139,7 km) .
Opposite, the Twiste rises almost in the East Sauerland Hills, but receives, apart from this source region, all its water from the West Hesse Highlands. Likewise, only a little water flows into the Itter in the northwest from the eastern slopes of those particular hills.
Central Uplands
The Central Uplands is one of the three major natural regions of Germany and covers most of the land area of the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.- Formation :...
in Germany that lies mostly within the state of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, between those elements of the Rhine Massif right of the Rhine in the west, the Weser Uplands to the north, the East Hesse Highlands
East Hesse Highlands
The East Hesse Highlands describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony to the north, Thuringia to the east and Bavaria to the southeast...
to the east and the Wetterau
Wetterau
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains....
to the south.
The West Hesse Highlands are one of the major natural regions of Germany
Natural regions of Germany
This division of Germany into major natural regions takes account primarily of geomorphological, geological, hydrological and pedological criteria in order to divide the country into large, physical units with a common geographical basis...
(no. 34 or D46) and are part of the Central European Uplands as well as being the watershed between the Rhine and the Weser.
The West and East Hesse Highlands or Hesse Highlands correspond to the geological unit known as the Hesse Depression (Hessischen Senke), in its wider sense, because here geologically young layers of Zechstein
Zechstein
The Zechstein is a unit of sedimentary rock layers of Middle to Late Permian age located in the European Permian Basin which stretches from the east coast of England to northern Poland...
and Bunter sandstone, and in places even younger rocks like 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...
, of the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
periods, have been preserved.
Division of natural regions
The following geographical units (3-digit numbers) are taken from the Hesse Environmental Atlas (Umweltatlas Hessen):- 34 West Hesse Lowlands and Highlands (Westhessisches Berg- und Senkenland)
- 340 Waldeck Upland (Waldecker Tafel or Waldecker Tafelland)
- 340.0 Waldeck Plain (Waldecker Gefilde)
- 340.1 Waldeck Forest (Waldecker Wald)
- 341 East Waldeck Border Lowlands (Ostwaldecker Randsenken)
- 341.0 Middle Diemel Depression (Mitteldiemelsenke')
- 341.1 Rhoda Depression (Rhoder Senken)
- 341.2 Volkmarsen Basin (Volkmarser Becken)
- 341.3 Wolfhagen Hills (Wolfhager Hügelland)
- 341.4 Naumburg Depression and Ridge (Naumburger Senken und Rücken)
- 341.5 Wildungen Depression (Wildunger Senke)
- 341.6 Hessenwald
- 341.7 Löwenstein Bottom (Löwensteiner Grund)
- 342 Habichtswald Highlands (Habichtswälder Bergland)
- 342.0 Habichtswald (including Langenberg)
- 342.1 Habichtswald Depression (Habichtswälder Senke)
- 342.2 Hinter Habichtswald Hills (Hinterhabichtswälder Kuppen)
- 342.3 Dörnberg and Schreckenberge
- 342.4 Malsburg Forest (Malsburger Wald)
- 343 West Hesse Depression (Westhessische Senke)
- 343.0 SchwalmSchwalmThe Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken...
- 343.1 Landsburg Depression (Landsburger Senke)
- 343.2 HessengauHessengauHessengau is an historical region of modern-day Germany located between Beverungen and Marburg in the north and Bad Hersfeld to the south....
- 343.3 Kassel Basin (Kasseler Becken)
- 343.4 Hofgeismar Depression (Hofgeismarer Rötsenke)
- 343.5 North Habichtswald Foreland (Nordhabichtswälder Vorland)
- 343.0 Schwalm
- 344 KellerwaldKellerwaldThe Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
- 344.0 High Kellerwald (Hoher Kellerwald)
- 344.1 Middle Kellerwald (Mittelkellerwald)
- 344.2 Wildungen Highlands (Wildunger Bergland)
- 344.3 Große Hardt
- 344.4 Herzhausen-Hemfurth Eder Valley (Herzhausen-Hemfurther Edertal)
- 344.5 Lower Kellerwald (Niederkellerwald)
- 345 BurgwaldBurgwald-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
- 345.0 Wetschaft Depression (Wetschaft-Senke)
- 345.1 Northern Burgwald (Nördlicher Burgwald)
- 345.2 Southern Burgwald (Südlicher Burgwald)
- 345.3 Wohra Valley (Wohratal)
- 345.4 Buntstruth
- 345.5 Frankenberg Upland (Frankenberger Oberland)
- 346 Upper Hesse Ridge (Oberhessische Schwelle)
- 346.0 Gilserberg Heights (Gilserberger Höhen)
- 346.1 Neustadt Saddle (Neustädter Sattel)
- 346.2 Northern Vogelsberg Foreland (Nördliches Vogelsberg-Vorland)
- 347 Amöneburg Basin (Amöneburger Becken)
- 347.0 Ohm Depression (Ohmsenke)
- 347.1 Ebsdorf Bottom (Ebsdorfer Grund)
- 348 Marburg-Gießen Lahn Valley (Marburg-Gießener Lahntal)
- 348.0 Marburg Highlands (including Marburg Ridge and Lahnberge) (Marburger Bergland (mit Marburger Rücken und Lahnbergen))
- 348.1 Gießen Basin (Gießener Becken)
- 349 Vogelsberg Foothills (Vorderer Vogelsberg)
- 349.0 Lumda Plateau
- 349.1 Ohm Valley (Ohmtal)
- 349.2 Gießen Ridge (Gießener Landrücken)
- 349.3 Laubach Hills (Laubacher Hügelland)
- 340 Waldeck Upland (Waldecker Tafel or Waldecker Tafelland)
Landscape characteristics
The tectonics of the Upper Rhine RiftUpper Rhine Plain
The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben is a major rift, straddling the border between France and Germany. It forms part of the European Cenozoic Rift System, which extends across central Europe...
, which continue along the eastern edge of the Rhenish Massif as far as the Upper Weser Hills
Lower Saxon Hills
The Lower Saxon Hills are one the 73 natural regions in Germany defined by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation . Geographically it covers roughly the same area as the Weser Uplands in its wider sense....
, form highlands and lowlands here that merge into the volcanic East Hesse Highlands
East Hesse Highlands
The East Hesse Highlands describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony to the north, Thuringia to the east and Bavaria to the southeast...
beyond the West Hesse Depression
West Hesse Depression
The West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :...
on their eastern perimeter. The ridges never attain the height of the loftiest peaks of the highlands to the east and west.
Although the two highland areas of this Central Uplands
Central Uplands
The Central Uplands is one of the three major natural regions of Germany and covers most of the land area of the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.- Formation :...
region reach heights of 675 m (Kellerwald
Kellerwald
The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
) and 615 m (Habichtswald
Habichtswald
For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany....
), the typical height of the ridges is more like 400 m. Between them, there are large river valleys and depressions, in places up to 200 m lower.
Location of the geographical units
The HabichtswaldHabichtswald
For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany....
highlands, which are up to 615 m high, in the north are separated from the peaks of the Waldeck Plateau (Waldeck Plateau) to the west, generally between 400 und 500 m high, by the East Waldeck Basin (East Waldeck Basin). Immediately south of the plateau is the 675 m high Kellerwald
Kellerwald
The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
. The latter runs away to the south, splitting into two ridges mainly around 400 m high: the Burgwald
Burgwald
-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
, to the southwest, and the Upper Hessian Ridge to the south.
South of the Burgwald
Burgwald
-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
is the Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
-Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
Lahn
Lahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
Valley to the west (up to 380 m high near the Lahnberge) and the Amöneburg Basin to the east, which is flat apart from the singularity of the 365 m high Amöneburg
Amöneburg
Amöneburg is a town in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany. It lies on a mountain and is built around the castle of the same name, Burg Amöneburg.- Location :...
itself. The basin rises southwards into the 405 m high (Lumda Plateau) Vogelsberg foothills. In the far east, the West Hesse Depression runs alongside almost all the ridges mentioned, following the valleys of the Schwalm
Schwalm
The Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken...
(south) and Eder
Eder
The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti....
(north).
The northern part of the Burgwald
Burgwald
-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
, the southwestern Kellerwald
Kellerwald
The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
and the Upper Hessian Ridge form part of the Rhine-Weser watershed and link the Rothaargebirge
Rothaargebirge
The Rothaargebirge is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 843.1 m in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, Germany....
with the Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
.
The many depressions in the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands have led to a build up of loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
soils, which is why arable farming is widespread here.
Hills (a selection)
- Wüstegarten (675 m) - KellerwaldKellerwaldThe Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
- Hohes Lohr (657 m) - KellerwaldKellerwaldThe Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
- Große Aschkoppe (640 m) - KellerwaldKellerwaldThe Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
- Hohes Gras]] (615 m) - HabichtswaldHabichtswaldFor the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany....
- Großer Bärenberg (601 m) - HabichtswaldHabichtswaldFor the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany....
- Hoher Dörnberg (579 m) - HabichtswaldHabichtswaldFor the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany....
- Isthaberg (523 m) - Singularity within the East Waldeck Basin
- Weidelsburg (492 m) - Singularity on the boundary of the East Waldeck Basin and Waldeck Plateau
- Hundskopf (471 m) - north Upper Hessian Ridge
- Heitzelberg (467 m) - Waldeck Plateau
- Wasserberg (412 m) - central BurgwaldBurgwald-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
- Mardorfer Kuppe (405 m) - Lumda Plateau
- Dachsberg (388 m) - central Upper Hessian Ridge
- Christenberg (387 m) - western BurgwaldBurgwald-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
- Burgholz (380 m) - west of the Upper Hessian Ridge
- Ortenberg (380 m) - Lahnberge
- Frauenberg (370 m) - Lahnberge
- Vogelheerd (370 m) - Marburg Ridge
- AmöneburgAmöneburgAmöneburg is a town in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany. It lies on a mountain and is built around the castle of the same name, Burg Amöneburg.- Location :...
(365 m) - Singularity in the Amöneburg Basin
Rivers
The main rivers in the West Hesse Highlands flow from the west out of the RothaargebirgeRothaargebirge
The Rothaargebirge is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 843.1 m in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, Germany....
: the Diemel
Diemel
The Diemel is a river in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, left tributary of the Weser. Its source is near Willingen, in Sauerland. The Diemel flows generally northeast through the towns Marsberg, Warburg and Trendelburg. It flows into the Weser in Bad Karlshafen. The total length of the...
(only right-hand tributaries, north), Eder
Eder
The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti....
(middle) and Lahn
Lahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
(only left-hand tributaries and river valley, south). Whilst the two rivers of the Weser river system in the extreme northeast (Diemel) and east (Eder) discharge into the West Hesse Depression, the Lahn leaves the Highlands after following a semi-circular course and heads southwest into the Rhine Massif again.
The right-hand tributaries of the Wetter
Wetter (river)
The Wetter is small 69km long river in Hesse, Germany and right tributary to the Nidda.After leaving the Vogelsberg mountain range the river flows through the Wetterau, a fertile landscape just north of Frankfurt, which is named after the river. The principal towns the river along the river are...
, a tributary of the Nidda and thus part of the Main river system, only enter a small part of the Vogelsberg foothills in the extreme southeast. In addition, a few left tributaries of the Fulda
Fulda River
The Fulda is a river in Hesse, Germany. It is one of two headstreams of the Weser . The Fulda is 218 km in length....
from the Habichtswald highlands join the Fulda itself just below the Eder confluence.
Table of the most important rivers
The following table lists the most important rivers in the West Hesse Highlands, from north to south and internally in a downstream direction, i.e. mainly from west to east.For a better overview or to sort them downstream based on the river system, enter the following DGKZ code numbers after the number 44 - Diemel, 428 - Eder, 24 - Fulda, 258 - Lahn and 2484 - Wetter.
Natural regions in italics are those outside the West Hesse Highlands; catchment areas and discharge quantities are given in italics where they only represent part of the total value (see footnotes below the table)!
| Name |
Main river |
Length [km] |
Catchment area [km²] |
Discharge (MQ) [l/s] |
Source region (of the tributaries) |
Main units |
DGKZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glinde Glinde Glinde may refer to several places in Germany:* Glinde, Schleswig-Holstein, a town in Schleswig-Holstein* Glinde, Saxony-Anhalt, part of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Elbe-Saale, district of Schönebeck, Saxony-Anhalt... |
Diemel (r) | 8.4 | 35.3 | Waldeck Plain | 340 | 44-32 | |
| Orpe | Diemel (r) | 19.1 | 98.1 | 774.2 | Waldeck Plateau Waldeck Plateau The Waldeck Plateau is a natural 'upper main unit' in the German state of Hesse between the rivers Eder and Diemel, the East Sauerland Hills in the west and the East Waldeck Basin in the east.... |
340 | 44-34 |
| Twiste*** | Diemel (r) | 40.8 | 446.7 | 2,685.9 | E. Sauerland Hills (Waldeck Plateau Waldeck Plateau The Waldeck Plateau is a natural 'upper main unit' in the German state of Hesse between the rivers Eder and Diemel, the East Sauerland Hills in the west and the East Waldeck Basin in the east.... ; Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... - r) |
332 (340; 342 - r) |
44-4 |
| Calenberger Bach (Holsterbach)*** | Diemel (r) | 9.1 | 34.0 | 88.7 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 44-52 |
| Warme | Diemel (r) | 33.1 | 157.3 | 1,321.4 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 44-6 |
| Esse | Diemel (r) | 27.6 | 191.9 | 1,187.8 | West Hesse Depression West Hesse Depression The West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :... |
343 | 44-8 |
| Itter* | Eder (l) | 11.6 | 76.1 | 771.3 | Waldeck Plain (E. Sauerland Hills) |
340 (332) |
428-531 |
| Aselbach* | Eder (l) | 6.6 | 18.1 | 135.4 | Waldecker Fields | 340 | 428-533 |
| Werbe* | Eder (l) | 13.2 | 42.3 | 322.6 | Waldeck Plateau Waldeck Plateau The Waldeck Plateau is a natural 'upper main unit' in the German state of Hesse between the rivers Eder and Diemel, the East Sauerland Hills in the west and the East Waldeck Basin in the east.... |
340 | 428-537 |
| Reiherbach* | Eder (l) | 7.4 | 27.3 | 188.9 | Waldeck Plateau Waldeck Plateau The Waldeck Plateau is a natural 'upper main unit' in the German state of Hesse between the rivers Eder and Diemel, the East Sauerland Hills in the west and the East Waldeck Basin in the east.... |
340 | 428-538 |
| Netze | Eder (l) | 12.9 | 29.0 | 169.5 | Waldeck Plateau Waldeck Plateau The Waldeck Plateau is a natural 'upper main unit' in the German state of Hesse between the rivers Eder and Diemel, the East Sauerland Hills in the west and the East Waldeck Basin in the east.... |
340 | 428-554 |
| Elbe | Eder (l) | 33 | 123.5 | 731.3 | Waldeck Forest (Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... ) |
340 (342) |
428-6 |
| Ems | Eder (l) | 34.1 | 146.2 | 753.3 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 428-92 |
| Pilgerbach | Eder (l) | 8.8 | 25.6 | 102.2 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 428-98 |
| Bauna | Fulda (l) | 17.2 | 47.4 | 333.8 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 42-92 |
| Grunnelbach | Fulda (l) | 9.2 | 24.1 | 150.0 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 42-94 |
| Drusel** | Fulda (l) | 11.4 | 11.0 | 96.4 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 42-952 |
| Ahne** | Fulda (l) | 21.4 | 21.1 | 295.5 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 42-958 |
| Espe | Fulda (l) | 8.6 | 24.3 | 159.5 | Habichtswald Habichtswald For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany.... |
342 | 42-992 |
| Nemphe | Eder (r) | 14.2 | 38.4 | 293.5 | Northern Burgwald Burgwald -Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:... |
345 | 428-198 |
| Lengelbach | Eder (r) | 11.4 | 25.9 | 209.9 | Northern Burgwald Burgwald -Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:... (Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... - r) |
345 (344) |
428-32 |
| Lorfe | Eder (r) | 11.8 | 24.3 | 245.7 | Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... |
344 | 428-512 |
| Banferbach* | Eder (r) | 7.2 | 16.4 | 213.9 | Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... |
344 | 428-535 |
| Wesebach | Eder (r) | 25.3 | 63.4 | 618.2 | Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... |
344 | 428-56 |
| Wilde | Eder (r) | 17.1 | 51.9 | 471.4 | Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... |
344 | 428-58 |
| Schwalm Schwalm The Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken... |
Eder (r) | 97.1 | 1,298.8 | 9,044.5 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... (Fulda-Haune Tableland, Knüll Knüll Knüllgebirge or Knüll is a small mountain range in Hesse, Germany. It is located in the Northern part of Hesse approximately 45 km South of Kassel, its highest peak is the Eisenberg having an altitude of 636 m. Its area has a rather low population density and is heavily forested... - r; U. Hessian Ridge, Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... - l) |
350/1 (355, 356 - r; 346, 344 - l) |
428-8 |
| Wetschaft | Lahn (l) | 29.0 | 196.2 | 1,701.6 | Northern Burgwald Burgwald -Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:... (E. Sauerland Hills, Rothaargebirge Rothaargebirge The Rothaargebirge is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 843.1 m in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, Germany.... - r) |
345 (332, 333) |
258-18 |
| Ohm | Lahn (l) | 59.7 | 983.8 | 7,949.8 | Vogelsberg Vogelsberg Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany.... (U. Hessian Ridge, Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... , Burgwald Burgwald -Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:... - r; Vogelsberg foothills - l) |
350/1 (346, 344, 345 - r; 349 - l) |
258-2 |
| Zwester Ohm | Lahn (l) | 20.0 | 69.5 | 405.2 | Vogelsberg foothills | 349 | 258-334 |
| Lumda | Lahn (l) | 30.0 | 131.5 | 950.4 | Vogelsberg foothills | 349 | 258-36 |
| Wieseck | Lahn (l) | 24.3 | 119.6 | 663.5 | Vogelsberg foothills | 349 | 258-38 |
| Kleebach | Lahn (l) | 26.9 | 164.6 | 815.9 | Eastern Hintertaunus (Vogelsberg foothills - r) |
302 (349) |
258-396 |
| Lauter | Wetter (r) | 7.0 | 13.6 | 126.2 | Vogelsberg foothills | 349 | 2484-14 |
| Äschersbach | Wetter (r) | 13.6 | 42.9 | 325.3 | Vogelsberg foothills | 349 | 2484-2 |
(*: Edersee
Edersee
The Edersee Dam is a hydroelectric dam constructed between 1908 to 1914 across the Eder river, near the small town of Waldeck in northern Hesse, Germany, it lies at the northern edge of the Kellerwald...
tributaries); **: Catchment area and discharge somewhat larger than given in the table, because the lower courses are combined with the Fulda sections; ***: Discharge value excluding confluence region in NRW
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
)
Schwalm and Ohm
The two longest and biggest rivers in the table by far, the SchwalmSchwalm
The Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken...
und Ohm
Ohm River
The Ohm, the right tributary of the Lahn, is a river in Hesse, Germany, Its total length is 59 km. The Ohm originates in the Vogelsberg Mountains, east of the town Ulrichstein. It flows generally northwest through Ulrichstein, Mücke, Homberg , Amöneburg, and Kirchhain. The Ohm joins the Lahn...
have a special role. They both emerge in the Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
, which the Ohm leaves after about 45 % of its total length and 27 % of its catchment area with roughly 35 % of its volume (see also here
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
). The Schwalm, on the other hand, leaves the Vogelsberg much earlier and receives about half its water volume at its mouth from right-hand tributaries from the East Hesse Highlands
East Hesse Highlands
The East Hesse Highlands describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony to the north, Thuringia to the east and Bavaria to the southeast...
.
Because the river systems of both rivers drain several major areas, they may be considered more or less as major rivers.
Rivers which enter the Schwalm from the left out of the West Hesse Highlands include the following:
- Schwalm
- Antreff (38,6 km, 115,3 km², 980,3 l/s, VogelsbergVogelsbergVogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
/Northern Vogelsberg Foreland) - Wiera (14,8 km, 87,8 km², 589,5 l/s, Upper Hessian Ridge)
- Gilsa (20,9 km, 93,6 km², 757,1 l/s, Gilserberg Heights/Kellerwald)
- Urff (20,1 km, 41,7 km², 494,6 l/s, KellerwaldKellerwaldThe Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
)
- Antreff (38,6 km, 115,3 km², 980,3 l/s, Vogelsberg
Significant tributaries from the middle and lower courses of the Ohm are:
- Ohm
- various smaller left tributaries (Vogelsberg foothills)
- Klein (r, 23,2 km, 163,4 km², 1122,9 l/s, Upper Hessian Ridge
- Wohra (r, 33,8 km, 285,9 km², 2010,3 l/s, KellerwaldKellerwaldThe Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in...
)- various smaller left tributaries (Gilserberg Heights)
- Schweinfe (r, 13,4 km, 54,6 km², 412,0 l/s, Kellerwald)
- Bentreff (r, 13,1 km, 48,9 km², 267,7 l/s, Northern BurgwaldBurgwald-Location:Burgwald lies east of Battenberg and roughly 30 km north of the university town of Marburg. The community lies on the northwestern edge of the Burgwald range, Hesse's biggest contiguous woodland.-Neighbouring communities:...
)
- Rotes Wasser (r, 18,6 km, 51,0 km², 221,1 l/s, Burgwald)
Other rivers crossing the boundary of this natural region are the Twiste in the northwest, the Kleebach
Kleebach
Kleebach is a river of Hesse, Germany....
in the southwest and the Wetschaft
Wetschaft
Wetschaft is a river of Hesse, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
in the west.
The Wetschaft, which is fed from the left by the Burgwald, receives more water at its confluence with the Treisbach (r, 16,8 km, 68,2 km²) flowing out of the Rothaargebirge
Rothaargebirge
The Rothaargebirge is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 843.1 m in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, Germany....
(810 l/s) than it delivers to that point (666,2 l/s), despite the fact that it has already been fed from the right by the East Sauerland Hills
The Kleebach on the other hand draws most of its water from the Eastern Hintertaunus, only receiving a small quantity of water from the Vogelsberg foothills via its right-hand stream, the Lückenbach
Luckenbach
Luckenbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:The village lies northeast of Koblenz in the valley of the Kleine Nister...
(12,0 km, 38,9 km², 139,7 km) .
Opposite, the Twiste rises almost in the East Sauerland Hills, but receives, apart from this source region, all its water from the West Hesse Highlands. Likewise, only a little water flows into the Itter in the northwest from the eastern slopes of those particular hills.
Water features
The largest and most important stretch of water in the West Hesse Highlands by far is the Edersee. Other lakes and reservoirs are listed below:| Name |
Dammed river |
Area [ha] |
Catchment area [km²] |
Discharge (MQ) [l/s] |
Height above [NN] |
Location |
Main- units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edersee Edersee The Edersee Dam is a hydroelectric dam constructed between 1908 to 1914 across the Eder river, near the small town of Waldeck in northern Hesse, Germany, it lies at the northern edge of the Kellerwald... |
Eder Eder The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti.... |
11.800 | 1.406,1 | 21.795,4 | 245 | Kellerwald Kellerwald The Kellerwald is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany.Its assets include Germany's largest contiguous beech woodland and it contains Hesse's only national park, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.- Geography :The Kellerwald lies in... |
344 |
| Affolderner See | Eder Eder The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti.... |
165 | 1.452.4 | 22.104,5 | 204 | East Waldeck Basin | 341 |
| Twistesee | Twiste | 76 | 125,3 | 828,6 | 210 | Waldeck Forest | 340 |
| Antrift Valley Dam | Antreff | 31 | 61,6 | 674,0 | 281 | Northern Vogelsberg Foreland | 346 |
| Borkener See Borkener See Borkener See is a lake in West Hesse Depression, Hesse, Germany. At an elevation of 177 m, its surface area is 139 ha.... |
(N/A) | 139 | 3,5 | 177 | West Hesse Depression West Hesse Depression The West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :... |
343 | |
| Singliser See Singliser See Singliser See is a lake in West Hesse Depression, Hesse, Germany. At an elevation of 185 m, its surface area is 74 ha.... |
(N/A) | 74 | 185 | West Hesse Depression West Hesse Depression The West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :... |
343 | ||
See also
- Natural regions of GermanyNatural regions of GermanyThis division of Germany into major natural regions takes account primarily of geomorphological, geological, hydrological and pedological criteria in order to divide the country into large, physical units with a common geographical basis...
- East Hesse HighlandsEast Hesse HighlandsThe East Hesse Highlands describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony to the north, Thuringia to the east and Bavaria to the southeast...
- West Hesse DepressionWest Hesse DepressionThe West Hesse Depression is part of the West Hesse Highlands and Lowlands region in the north of the German state of Hesse.- Geographical location :...
General sources
- LAGIS: Geological map of Hesse
- BfN
- Map service
- Landscape fact files (by major unit)
- 340 (Waldeck Plateau)
- 341 (East Waldeck Basin)
- 342 (Habichtswald Highland)
- 343 (West Hesse Depression)
- 344 (Kellerwald)
- 345 (Burgwald)
- 346 (Upper Hessian Ridge)
- 347 (Amöneburg Basin)
- 348 (Vogelsberg foothills)
- 349 (Marburg-Gießen Lahn Valley)
- Marburg Highland
- Gießen-Wetzlar conurbation
- Großenlinden Hills (with Wetterau)