Autumn on the Wasserkuppe

For hikers and nature lovers, late summer and autumn are considered the peak season for particularly intense nature experiences.

Towards the end of summer, the fascinating low mountain range landscape in the border region of Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia often appears in golden splendor.

When the first rays of sunshine have broken through the morning mist, the view opens up to brightly colored forests. The "Land of Open Vistas" now appears bathed in the typically mild sunlight that also gives the "Golden October" its name.

Between a T-shirt and a winter coat…

While pleasantly warm late summer days can still be expected in autumn, the higher elevations of the Rhön Mountains can experience their first snowfall in October. Therefore, hikers and e-bikers should be prepared for cooler temperatures at altitudes of nearly 1000 meters.

Tip: A hot mulled wine or tea by the open fireplace in the Peterchens Mondfahrt restaurant is the perfect end to an autumn hike in the Rhön!

The highlight in autumn: Inversion weather conditions

An extraordinary natural spectacle draws nature lovers and landscape photographers to the Wasserkuppe every autumn. During a so-called inversion weather pattern, the valleys often remain shrouded in thick, cold fog all day long. In the warm air layer above, the summit of the Wasserkuppe is then often pleasantly mild, almost windless, and sunny.

It is an impressive and uplifting experience to enjoy the sunshine on the Wasserkuppe on such a day with inversion weather conditions, while the lowlands remain shrouded under a thick blanket of fog.

Up here, you not only feel "above the clouds," but also "950 meters above everyday life."

Late summer hiking tip: Hochrhöner® extra tour “Hochrhöntour”

The 'Hochrhöntour' extra tour leads along numerous narrow paths through the 'Lange Rhön', the largest non-Alpine nature reserve in Bavaria. The varied, open landscape offers constantly changing views of the Lange Rhön plateau and far beyond.

No towns or villages, but nature at its finest, virtually untouched landscapes, the occasional sheep or goat, and ever-changing views in every direction as far as the eye can see – hiking at its best.