Taunus

For other uses, see Taunus (disambiguation).
Taunus

The Hochtaunus with the Feldberg summit
Highest point
Peak Großer Feldberg (Hochtaunus)
Elevation 878 m (2,881 ft)
Coordinates 50°14′N 08°27′E / 50.233°N 8.450°E / 50.233; 8.450Coordinates: 50°14′N 08°27′E / 50.233°N 8.450°E / 50.233; 8.450
Dimensions
Length 75 km (47 mi) NE/SW
Width 35 km (22 mi) NW/SE
Area 2,700 km2 (1,000 sq mi)
Geography
Taunus
Country Germany
State/Province Hesse
Parent range Rhenish Slate Mountains
Geology
Orogeny Variscan
Age of rock Devonian
Type of rock Phyllite, Greywacke

The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany located north of Frankfurt. The tallest peak in the range is the 878 m high Großer Feldberg, other notable peaks are the Kleiner Feldberg (825 m) and the Altkönig (798 m).

The Taunus range spans the districts of Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, Limburg-Weilburg, and Rhein-Lahn. The range is known for is geothermal springs and mineral waters that formerly attracted members of the European aristocracy to its spa towns. The car line Ford Taunus is named after it.

Description

It is a relatively low range, with smooth, rounded mountains covered with forest. The Taunus is bounded by the river valleys of the Rhine, Main and Lahn rivers and it is part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. On the opposite side of the Rhine, The Taunus range is continued by the Hunsrück.

For geographical, ecological and geological purposes the Taunus is divided in three parts:

The Taunus range originated during the Devonian period.[1] The geological composition of the mountains was formed in a region covered by an ancient sea that was a few hundred kilometers wide and are mainly made up of phyllite, greenschist, gneiss, slates and sandstone.[2]

Summits

History

The Roman Limes was built across the Taunus. The Saalburg, a restored Roman castellum, now houses a museum.

After the fall of the Limes (in 259/260 AD), the Alamanni settled in the range and for this reason there are some Alemannic cemeteries in the southern foothills of the Taunus (Eschborn). This area of the Taunus became part of the Frankish confederation of Germanic tribes after the Battle of Tolbiac around 500 AD.[3]

In past centuries the Taunus became famous among aristocrats for its therapeutic hot springs.[4]

Certain towns in the area, such as Bad Homburg vor der Höhe with its Kurpark, have geothermal spas that were formerly renowned. Other spa towns in the Taunus range are Bad Schwalbach (formerly Langenschwalbach) mentioned in documents dating back to the 16th century, Bad Ems, one of the most reputed therapeutic spas in Germany since the 17th century, as well as Bad Weilbach where a spring reached wide fame for some time. By the 19th century the most famous spa towns in the area were Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Bad Nauheim and Bad Soden am Taunus.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Zur geologischen Entstehung des Taunus (German)
  2. ↑ Geologische Highlights im Geopark Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus (German)
  3. ↑ Egon Schallmayer et al. (eds.) Die Römer im Taunus. Frankfurt a. M. 2005, ISBN 3797309554 (German)
  4. ↑ "Great Spas of Europe". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 March 2016. Lists Bad Ems, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, and Wiesbaden among the 16 in total.
  5. ↑ Heinz Biehn, Der Taunus. Hohe Wälder, weite Täler, warme Quellen. Amorbach 1972 (German)
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