The Hoher Meißner is a mountain massif with a height of 753.6 m and is located in the Meißner-Kaufunger Wald nature park in Hesse, Germany. Geography The Hoher Meißner is densely forested and covers an area of 10 km by 5 km. It is located approximately between Eschwege and Grossalmerode as well as Bad Sooden-Allendorf and Waldkappel. Together with large parts of the Kaufungen Forest and the Soehre forest it forms the very extensive Naturpark Meißner-Kaufunger Wald. Geology In the Tertiary period the area was covered by thick forests. From these forests, lignite deposits were formed, which were then covered by sand and lava. The basalt formations have been eroded by weathering and were much higher at one time. Geomorphology Highest mountain in northeast Hesse The Meißner peak is not the highest point in northern Hesse, even if it is commonly held to be. In northwest Hesse lie some mountains which are substantially higher. Therefore, the Kasseler crest, with an elevation of 753.6 m, is the highest peak in northeast Hesse, but not in all of Hesse. Mountains Kasseler Kuppe (753.6 m) Kasseler Stein (748 m) Kalbe (720 m) Heiligenberg am Meißner (583 m) Bühlchen am Meißner (537 m) Lookout points From different locations on the Meißner one can enjoy wonderful views: Kalbe: From this basalt crest, approximately 720 m high, there are views of the Werra Valley ("Werratal") and the Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal nature park. One can also see the Harz Mountains, the Thuringian Forest and the Rhön Mountains. This lookout point can only be reached on foot - e.g. by the path which begins at the Mother Hulda Pond (German: Frau-Holle-Teich). Schwalbenthal: This spot is easier to reach than the „Kalbe,“ but the views are hardly less attractive; it lies about 100 m lower, at a fork in the road, slightly below the "Stinksteinwand." Here there is a parking lot (elevation 620 m) with splendid views of Meißner-Vockerode, and, in the distance, Thuringia. Meißnerhaus: Views from the southwest side of the mountain include, among other things, the ranges of the Kellerwald, the Habichtswald and the Kaufunger Wald. Mining The lignite mining industry began around 1560, after gloss coal bits were discovered in a brook, and persisted until 1929. The coal was used, for example, as fuel for salt production in Bad Sooden Allendorf and at the large power station in Kassel. Stinksteinwand and Schwalbenthal: Striking evidence of the centuries-long practice