Hessian Skittles

Hessian Skittles
Hessisches Kegelspiel
The Hessian Skittles from the east
Highest point
Peak	Soisberg
Elevation	629.9 m (2,067 ft)
Geography
Location	Hesse, Germany

The Hessian Skittles (German: Hessisches Kegelspiel) are a group of nine extinct volcanoes in the northwestern and lowest part of the Rhön Mountains in East Hesse, Germany. This striking collection of domed hills or kuppen is located in the counties of Hersfeld-Rotenburg and Fulda in the northwestern part of the Kuppen Rhön east of Eiterfeld and south of Schenklengsfeld.

The heart of these kuppen, that were called the Hessian Skittles thanks to their similar shape and number, consists mainly of [hexagonal]] basalt columns (see also under Stoppelsberg), that were formed as the lava cooled off.

According to legend, the giants had a skittle alley here, using the Stoppelsberg as the bowling ball.

The nine summits of the Hessian Skittles include one mountain, the Soisberg, and eight hills. In order of their height in metres (m) above sea level (NHN), they are:

The Gehilfersberg (456 m) is not, however one of the skittles, even though it could have been considered due to its location. In addition, the Stoppelsberg (523.9 m, with the ruins of Hauneck Castle), which is counted as one of the skittles, lies to the west outside the actual Rhön region. This stems from a local mnemonic verse, which did not take the Hübelsberg and Gehilfersberg into consideration: