 Together with the Hohfirst (493.6 meters) in the south and the Ölberg (416.4 meters), which is the southern most spur, the mountain forms the Schönbergmassiv (Schönberg massif), a promontory of the Black Forest, which itself is part of the Upper Rhine Plain.Due to geological disturbance and rift valleys the surface provides evidence from all periods of the Mesozoic era, as well as signs of volcanic activity of the tertiary era.This includes a small tuff vent on the southern slope close to the chapel of Berghausen and a bigger vent on the northern slope close to the restaurant Schönberger Hof.