Hermannskogel

Hermannskogel
Hermannskogel (and top of Habsburgwarte) seen from the Rohrerwiese
Highest point
Elevation	542 m (1,778 ft)
Coordinates	48°16′N 16°17′E / 48.267°N 16.283°E / 48.267; 16.283Coordinates: 48°16′N 16°17′E / 48.267°N 16.283°E / 48.267; 16.283
Geography
Location	Vienna, Austria

The Hermannskogel (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛʁmansˌkoːɡl̩]) is a hill in Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. At 542 metres above sea level, it is the highest natural point of Vienna. It lies on the border to Lower Austria.

The Habsburgwarte, standing atop the Hermannskogel, marked the kilometre zero in cartographic measurements used in Austria-Hungary until 1918.

The Hermannskogel is a forested ridge in the Wienerwald. It is both the highest point in the Kahlengebirge and in the city of Vienna. The Hermannskogel is part of a north-eastern chain of foothills belonging to the eastern Alps. It is composed of flysch containing quartz, limestone, marl, and other conglomerates. The many cliff-like layers on the south-western approach to the Hermannskogel clearly show the hill’s geological make-up.

The Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg, behind which lie the Wiener Pforte, where the Danube breaks through the Wienerwald, are three kilometres to the east of the Hermannskogel. The Vogelsangberg stands nearby, as does the Dreimarkstein (to the southwest).

The first documentary reference to the Hermannskogel can be found in the Klosterneuburg Monastery’s tithe register. It dates from 1355 and names the hill hermannschobel. The name is composed of the personal name Hermann, which was common in the Middle Ages, and Kobel (which appears elsewhere as Kogel), a common designation for cone-shaped hills.