The Upper Palatine Hills (German: Oberpfälzisches Hügelland, also Oberpfälzisches Hügel- und Bergland or Oberpfälzer Bruchschollenland) is a Hercynian range of rolling hills (Hügelland) and valleys running from the Upper Palatine-Bavarian Forest in the (north-)east and the Franconian Jura in the (south-)west. It lies mostly within the Bavarian province of Upper Palatinate, hence the name. The range, which is oriented northwest to southeast, is about 100 kilometres long, but only between 7 and 35 kilometres wide and covers and area of 2,000 km2. The best known settlements are (from northwest to southeast) Weiden (Ostrand), Amberg and Schwandorf.
| Upper Palatine Hills (Oberpfälzisches Hügelland) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 100 km (62 mi) |
| Area | 2,004.9 km2 (774.1 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
| State(s) | Upper Palatinate, Upper Franconia, Bavaria |
| Range coordinates | 49°26′40″N 11°50′54″E / 49.4444°N 11.8483°E |
| Parent range | Upper Palatine-Upper Main Hills |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | c. 6 million years |
| Type of rock | various, mostly Rotliegendes or bunter sandstone |
Sources and external links
edit- BfN landscape fact files:
- Upper Palatine Hills
- Grafenwöhr Training Area
- Naab valley between Wernberg and Maxhütte (only partly in the Upper Palatine Hills)
- Upper Palatine Hills
- Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation