Knüllköpfchen

The Knüllköpfchen is a basalt hill rising 628 metres above sea level and the second-highest summit in the Knüll range. It stands on the edge of the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, about 20 kilometres west of Bad Hersfeld. The largely treeless summit ridge stretches roughly 500 metres towards the south-south-west, with the wooded Waldknüll and the Wilsberg nearby. Three streams begin on its slopes: the Hergetsbach to the north, a tributary of the Efze to the south, and the Steina to the west. The city of Schwarzenborn lies less than two kilometres south-east of the peak. The hill’s geology tells of ancient volcanic activity. Its cap is alkali-olivine basalt, once part of a deeper volcanic conduit now exposed by erosion. Beneath it lies a broad layer of red tuff containing scattered basalt intrusions from the Miocene period. The original volcanic cones have long since vanished, leaving only the harder rock of their cores standing above the softer tuff. The August-Franke Tower offers a 12-metre-high vantage point, while a 46-metre steel-framed mast nearby serves broadcasting and amateur radio. At the foot of the hill the Boglerhaus provides meals and lodging, and the KnüllCamp offers camping and education. A small wind farm with five turbines occupies the north-west slope, and the Knüllgebirgsverein’s information centre sits beside the steel mast. Well-marked trails such as the Löwenweg cross the range, and in winter a prepared ski trail follows the same routes. The summit area is reached by quiet country roads from Ziegenhain or Frielendorf.