The Vogelsberg (bird's mountain) is a large shild volcano; it ranges from the Kinzig valley in the south over the hills at Grebenhain until Alsfeld north from the center of Hassia. In the east, the Rhön is the limit, and in the west the basin of the Wetterau. It was active some 7.000.000 years ago.
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A nice automn day near the Salz. |
During the ice age, a partially up to 6 m thick earth layer from the rhine valley has been blown on the south of the Vogelsberg. Now it is a wealthy foundation for vegetation of any kind.
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View from the Herzberg (heart mountain) at Leisenwald down the Seemenbach valey. In the fog you can see the Feldberg/Ts, closer is the Glauberg. |
By very thin (acidic) lava, the volcano has build a wide, but flat cone. The expansion is a circle of more than 50 km in all directions, at a size of "only" 400 m over the basic stone (sand stone).
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View on Leisenwald from nearly the same place. |
The resulting basalt stone differs in consistence: it may be as porous as a sponge, but often it nearly is as solid als granite.
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Salz valey near Kerbersdorf |
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Schönhof, a settling near Sotzbach |
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A lake close to the Salz, photgraphed near Rabenstein |
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Picture of the Salz valey near Kerbersdorf, where my sister-in-law is from |
As the "shild" of the Vogelsberg volcano ranges wide with low descend, the landscape at its rims in south and west is marked by narrow valleys and steep hills. The change from the volcano to the basin of the Wetterau or the narrow band of the Kinzig valley is rigide. Ascensions, which rise 200 m in height at a length of only 5 km can be found at several places.
