Kaufungen Forest

The Kaufungen Forest (German: Kaufunger Wald) is a range of steep, wooded hills straddling the border between the states of Hesse and Lower Saxony in central Germany.

The hills lie in the fork of the Rivers Fulda and Werra, which meet at Hannoversch Münden just to the north. They are bounded to the west and north-west by the Fulda valley, and to the east and north-east by the Werra valley. The southern boundary is less clearly defined, as the range merges into the gentler hills of the Söhrewald to the south-west, and climbs towards the high plateau of the Hoher Meißner to the south-east.

The highest natural point is 643m Hirschberg; however the 641m summit of Bilstein forms a much better natural viewpoint, and since 1869 has been crowned with an observation tower. The present tower was erected in 1889 and extended to its present height of 20m in 1960; it offers panoramic views across the region. Other peaks include Mühlenstein (607m), Haferberg (581m), Langenberg (565m), Großer Steinberg (542m) and Kleiner Steinberg (542m).

The area is popular for walking and especially for cycling; an extensive network of waymarked forestry and agricultural tracks provide excellent traffic-free routes. The annual Bilstein Bike Marathon attracts hundreds of mountain bikers to compete in races of varying length and difficulty. In winter, the same trails are used for cross-country skiing. The main tourist centre for the area is the small town of Großalmerode. Other settlements include Kaufungen (which lends its name to the range), Helsa and Nieste. The larger towns of Kassel, Witzenhausen and Hessisch Lichtenau lie on the western, eastern and southern fringes respectively.

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