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22-553: It is formed from several small tributaries that come together on the eastern slope of the Schneeberg west of the Vordorf Mill ( Vordorfermühle ) at Trostau in the Russel forest division. A spring, impounded by granite rocks, was tapped by the town of Wunsiedel in 1930 at a height of 915 m above NN . The source is the start point of the 44 km long Röslau Path, which

44-599: A distance by its squat tower - a relic of the Cold War . The summit comprises a jumble of granite rocks and a rock pillar ( Felsburg ) on which the Backöfele observation tower stands and is still dominated by the relics of military installations including its Cold War listening post. From a natural region perspective, the mountain is part of the major unit of the High Fichtel Mountains ( Hohes Fichtelgebirge , 394). It

66-559: A few days beforehand that they wanted to preserve this hut for walkers and mountain rescue teams. As a result, the Weißenstadt rescue service built a new refuge hut below the summit area. The low average temperature of 3.7 °C around the summit of the Schneeberg means that it is still able to support a glacial plant community. Access to the areas of vegetation is not permitted, because the plants are extremely susceptible to trampling. Below

88-588: A new tower. The top of the mountain was a military out-of-bounds area and the Backöfele was now "behind the wire". Following the easing of military tension in Europe in the early 1990s, the US Forces left the Schneeberg on 30 April 1992 and, on 31 March 1993, the Bundeswehr closed its military surveillance mission. The last soldier left the Schneeberg air defence site ( Luftverteidigungsstellung Schneeberg ) on 30 June 1994 and

110-650: Is called the Riasla and, on official maps, the Röslau . Recent research suggests the name combines words meaning "in lively motion, stirring" and "flowing" or "streaming". Schneeberg (Fichtel Mountains) Schneeberg ( 1,051 m above  sea level (NN) ) is the highest mountain in the Fichtel Mountains , a mountain range in Upper Franconia in northeast Bavaria , Germany. It can be readily identified from

132-453: Is the highest point in the Bavarian province of Upper Franconia . The name Schneeberg may be derived from snede ("border"). However, it is more likely that the name comes from Schnee ("snow") and the fact that the mountain is snow-capped for long periods of time. The group of rocks at the highest point on the mountain is called Backöfele ("baking oven"), after which the observation tower

154-573: The Backöfele stands. Together with the Fichtel Mountain Nature Park they have implemented land rehabilitation measures. Since 29 August 1996 the Backöfele observation tower has been open to the public again. As part of the environmental restoration scheme the old refuge hut belonging to the Weißenstadt mountain rescue service was demolished despite the fact that the Fichtel Mountain Nature Park had given assurances only

176-523: The Fichtel Mountains in north Bavaria . Its emblem is the Arctic starflower (the Siebenstern ). The aims of the club are the fostering of hiking, training of hiking guides, marking of footpaths, construction and maintenance of rock climbing facilities, observation towers and accommodation facilities, conservation work and support, landscape conservation, support of local culture, monument protection, running

198-709: The Fichtelgebirge Museum and other local history and natural history collections, publication of the club magazine Der Siebenstern and other heritage publications, youth work and youth support. In 1878 the Fichtel Mountains Section ( Sektion Fichtelgebirg ) of the German and Austrian Alpine Club was founded in Wunsiedel . From the outset it focussed only on the development of the Fichtel Mountains. In 1888

220-513: The Second World War , which had brought the club's activities to a standstill, it underwent a rapid regeneration which saw the foundation of numerous youth groups . In 1936 the headquarters of the club moved to Hof ; it returned to Wunsiedel in 2003/04. The club headquarters is at Theresienstraße 2, 95632 Wunsiedel in the Haus des Fichtelgebirgsvereins (near the market place and town hall). There

242-486: The margrave in Bayreuth to establish a warning system. As a result, he set up a network of observation posts on various mountains in the Fichtel Mountains that in time of danger had to send beacon or smoke signals to the neighbouring posts. The Schneeberg was one of these posts. In 1520 the villagers of Weißenstadt had to establish a permanent sentry position here. In 1713 the ruins of this post could still be seen. In 1879

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264-565: The Czech Republic until it discharges into the Eger near Fischern. Since the Middle Ages the river was used to drive the many hammer mills and corn mills along its length. The town of Wunsiedel also used the watercourse from the 16th century for timber rafting . The river was first mentioned quite late on, in 1403, under the name of Rosslin and then under various spellings. Colloquially it

286-677: The Fichtel Mountains branch of the German-Austrian Alpine Club (predecessor of the Fichtelgebirge Club ) built the first simple platform on the rock summit; at the same time a rude stone hut was erected. In 1904 a log cabin followed and in 1926 the Weißenstadt group of the Fichtelgebirge Club built the observation tower Backöfele from oak logs. In 1938 the Luftwaffe had a 35-metre-high (115 ft) wooden tower built on

308-552: The Seehaus car park on the B ;303/E 48. These walks are between five and eight kilometres long. Fichtelgebirge Club The Fichtelgebirge Club ( German : Fichtelgebirgsverein or FGV ) is a large walking club and local heritage society in Bavaria and recognised conservation group with 20,000 members in 55 local groups. As the name says, its main sphere of activity is in

330-729: The departure of the military, its surface is still good enough for racing bikers who like to climb the 400 metres at 8% from Bischofsgrün . As there is no other traffic, the road enables also access to the summit for e.g. wheelchairs and prams from a small car park on the BT13 district road (3 km, 230 m vertical; the last metres to the Backöfele are not barrier-free). The summit can also be reached on foot and with mountain bikes on various trails. The points of departure for these trails include Bischofsgrün , Weißenstadt , Meierhof (Weißenstadt), Vordorfermühle , Leupoldsdorferhammer , Silberhaus (Tröstau) and

352-559: The mountain, the purpose of which was kept "secret". In 1942 it was razed for "unexplained reasons". On 14 November 1951 US Forces requisitioned part of the summit and erected various buildings and steel structures for antennas and parabolic mirrors . In 1961 the German Armed Forces (the Bundeswehr ) took over the area to the north of the summit and, in 1967, communication sector ( Fernmeldesektor ) "E" took up its surveillance role in

374-480: The real estate was transferred to the Federal Finance Department ( Bundesvermögensverwaltung ). The former Bundeswehr tower was rented to the firm of Mannesmann (now Vodafone ) for mobile phone use. On 29 December 1995, on the initiative of the district administrator ( Landrat ) Dr. Peter Seißer, Wunsiedel district bought a 6,500 m of land in the former American out-of-bounds area, on which

396-717: The region of the Platte , Hohe Matze and Kösseine . Near Thölau the great railway bridge on the Marktredwitz to Hof line stretches across the Röslau valley. Next it reaches Lorenzreuth and Seußen, where it is reinforced by the Kössein. It flows through the narrow valley of the Gsteinigt to Arzberg and snakes through pastureland to the Schirnding . East of the village it forms Germany's boundary with

418-609: The section was disbanded and the FGV founded with its headquarters in Wunsiedel. For a long time it was headed by the master forester ( Forstmeister ) of Wunsiedel. Over the course of time branches were formed in the surrounding villages and around the turn of the 20th century membership numbers had risen to 1000. The club enjoyed encouraging growth Aufschwung after the First World War , in 1924 it had 38 local branches with 7000 members. After

440-462: The summit area is one of the last German capercaillie populations outside of the Alps ; they are also protected because capercaillies are very easily disturbed. In winter, tracks are frequently seen that indicate the return of the lynx to the high Fichtel Mountains around the Schneeberg. The tarmac road to the summit of the Schneeberg is closed to private motor vehicles. Despite not being maintained after

462-479: Was created in 1980 by Fichtelgebirge Club . The Seenweg path from Weißenstädter See to the Fichtelsee runs past the spring. After leaving the steep slopes and high forest on the Schneeberg the Röslau runs past the Vordorf Mill, turns initially southeast to Leupoldsdorf and Tröstau , grazes Wunsiedel and swings gradually in an easterly and northeasterly direction. Along the way it picks up numerous brooks from

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484-631: Was named. In the Thirty Years' War , folk from the surrounding village are supposed to have fled to this place where they baked their bread. The mountain has always had great strategic significance due to its commanding field of view. In 1498 Captain Kunz von Wirsberg, captain of the Ritterkanton Gebürg , a community of knights in Franconian Switzerland and the Fichtel Mountains, was assigned by

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