Birkenberg

Birkenberg stands in Mittelfranken, a region of Bavaria. It is the second highest mountain in the Frankenhöhe range. The whole area was once called ‘Hedelberg’ when it was a mining zone. Mining ended in the 17th century and the name changed to ‘Birkenberg’. The name means ‘birch mountain’, taken from the birch trees once cut down here. After mining finished, the slopes were cleared for pasture for about two years. Birch trees soon grew back from their stumps and covered the mountain again. The rapid regrowth gave the mountain its present name. The mountain’s history shows how the land was used and then returned to woodland. Visitors find open slopes and dense birch woods on Birkenberg. The summit offers wide views across the Frankenhöhe. Paths wind through the birch groves and over former mining tracks. The quiet landscape shows the mountain’s past in its name and its trees.