Upper Palatine Forest

Upper Palatinate Forest
View to Mt. Velký Zvon
Highest point
Peak	Čerchov (Schwarzkopf)
Elevation	3,419 ft (1,042 m)
Geography
Mountain ranges in the Bavarian-Thuringian-Saxon-Bohemian border region
Countries	Germany and Czech Republic
States/Provinces	Bavaria and Bohemia
Parent range	Central Uplands Bohemian Massif
Geology
Orogeny	Variscan
Type of rock	Metamorphic Gneiss, Granite and Serpentinite rocks

The Upper Palatine Forest (German: Oberpfälzer Wald, Czech: Český les, "Bohemian Forest") is a mountain range in Central Europe that is divided between Germany and the Czech Republic. It is part of the larger Bohemian Massif and the German Central Uplands.

Geography

Hut on the German-Czech border near Neualbenreuth

The German side belongs to the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, it stretches about 100 km (330,000 ft) from the Bavarian Forest in the south up to the Fichtel Mountains and the Steinwald range in the north. However, the highest peaks of the range lie along the eastern Czech side in the Plzeň Region of western Bohemia, northwest of the Bohemian Forest. The southern rim runs from the Cham and Furth Basin across the border to the Všeruby (Neumark) mountain pass, which is part of the Main European Watershed. The other end is marked by Waldsassen, the northernmost town of the Upper Palatinate.

The Mittelgebirge range is a mountainous solid mass, its highest point being at an altitude of 1,042 m (3,419 ft). Prominent rocks include the Wolfenstein and the Parkstein hill. Once a mining area for iron and gold, the uplands feature many steep valleys, medieval castle ruins and numerous hiking trails. It is a popular destination for recreation.

Rivers rising in the Upper Palatinate Forest include

• Wondreb (Odrava), a tributary of the Ohře (Eger), with Muglbach waterfall
• the Waldnaab headstream of the Naab (Nába) and its Pfreimd and Schwarzach tributaries
• the Mže (Mies) – headstream of the Berounka – and its Hammerbach (Hamerský potok) tributary.

Highest peaks

German name	Czech name	Height (m)	Height (ft)	State/Region	Country
Schwarzkopf	Čerchov	1,042	3,419	Plzeň	Czech Republic
Tillenberg	Dyleň	939	3,081	Karlovy Vary	Czech Republic
Entenbühl		901	2,956	Bavaria	Germany
Weingartenfels		896	2,940	Bavaria	Germany
Großer Rabenberg	Havran	894	2,933	Plzeň	Czech Republic
Signalberg		888	2,913	Bavaria	Germany
Reichenstein		874	2,867	Bavaria	Germany
Plattenberg	Velký Zvon	856	2,808	Plzeň	Czech Republic
Frauenstein		835	2,740	Bavaria	Germany
Schellenberg		829	2,720	Bavaria	Germany
Stückstein		808	2,651	Bavaria	Germany
Steinberg		802	2,631	Bavaria	Germany
Fahrenberg		801	2,628	Bavaria	Germany
Schwarzwihrberg / Schloßberg		706	2,316	Bavaria	Germany
Johannisberg		605	1,985	Bavaria	Germany

Towns and municipalities

Towns

Amberg, DE Bärnau, DE Poběžovice, CZ Přimda, CZ Tachov, CZ

Rötz, DE Schönsee, DE Schwandorf, DE Tirschenreuth, DE Vohenstrauß, DE

Waldmünchen, DE Waldsassen, DE Weiden, DE

Municipalities

Bechtsrieth Eslarn Falkenberg Floß Flossenbürg Freudenberg Leuchtenberg Klenčí pod Čerchovem

Mantel Moosbach Nabburg Neualbenreuth Neunburg vorm Wald Neusorg Niedermurach Pleystein

Plößberg Oberviechtach Rozvadov Schirmitz Tännesberg Waidhaus Waldthurn

External links

• www.oberpfaelzerwald.de - Oberpfälzerwald.de (German) (also available in English)
• www.oberpfaelzer-waldverein.de - Upper Palatine Forest Club (German)
• www.heimat-now.de - Information about the Schellenberg Ruins (German)
• www.bocklradweg.de - Cycling the od railway routes and info about the Upper Palatine Forest (German)

Coordinates: 49°23′00″N 12°47′01″E / 49.38333°N 12.78361°E