Rhenish Massif
The Rhenish Massif, Rhine Massif or Rhenish Uplands (German: Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, pronounced [ˈʁaɪnɪʃəs ˈʃiːfɐɡəˌbɪʁɡə] ⓘ: 'Rhenish Slate Uplands') is a geologic massif in western Germany, eastern Belgium, Luxembourg and northeastern France. It is drained centrally, south to north by the river Rhine and a few of its tributaries.
| Rhenish Massif | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Großer Feldberg |
| Elevation | 2,881 ft (878 m) |
| Geography | |
| Countries | Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France |
| States | North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse |
| Parent range | Central Uplands |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Variscan (Hercynian) |
| Age of rock | Devonian and Carboniferous |
| Type of rock | metamorphic rock |
West of the indent of the Cologne Bight it has the Eifel and the Belgian and French Ardennes; east is its greatest German component, the Süder Uplands. The Hunsrück hills form its southwest. The Westerwald is an eastern strip. The Lahn-Dill area is a small central zone and the Taunus Mountains form the rest, the south-east.
The massif hosts the Middle Rhine Valley (Rhine Gorge), a UNESCO World Heritage site linked to the lowest parts of the Moselle (German: Mosel, Luxembourgish: Musel).