Bleicherode Hills

Bleicherode Hills
The Ziegenrück
Highest point
Peak	Ziegenrück
Elevation	460.8 m above NHN
Geography
Counties of Nordhausen and Eichsfeld; Thuringia (Germany)
Range coordinates	51°25′55″N 10°08′45″E / 51.43194°N 10.14583°E / 51.43194; 10.14583Coordinates: 51°25′55″N 10°08′45″E / 51.43194°N 10.14583°E / 51.43194; 10.14583
Parent range	Lower Eichsfeld, in the Weser-Leine Uplands
Geology
Orogeny	outliers
Type of rock	muschelkalk

The Bleicherode Hills (German: Bleicheröder Berge or Bleicheroder Berge) in the counties of Nordhausen and Eichsfeld in North Thuringia are the east-southeastern foothills of the Ohm Hills in the Lower Eichsfeld. They reach a maximum height of 460.8 m above sea level (NHN) at the summit of the Ziegenrück. Together with the Ohm Hills they cover an area of about 76 km² of which the Bleicherode Hills make up roughly 16 km² of the total landscape area.

The heavily wooded Bleicherode Hills are located between Buhla and Kraja to the north, Bleicherode to the east, Sollstedt to the south, Breitenworbis in the southwest and Haynrode to the northwest. They rise between the Krajaer Bach (a tributary of the River Bode) and the Bode to the north and the Wipper to the south. To the southeast is the Hainleite, to the south the Dün, whilst roughly to the southwest is the der Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werra Valley Nature Park. Their highest hill, the Ziegenrück, is situated about 1 km south-southeast of Buhla.

Beech and, to a lesser extent, pine are the predominant trees growing on the muschelkalk soil of the Bleicherode Hills. Amongst the many rare plant and animal species are 14 native species of orchid. It is also the northernmost location for the juneberry. In addition there is a very interesting group of rare mixed wood species like limes and Scots elms as well as a large a population of yews. Amongst the species of fungi occurring here are: king boletes, bay boletes and St. George's mushrooms. Roe deer and wild boar, red fox, hare, great spotted and green woodpeckers and the rare red kite have also made their home in this protected area.