Gleichberge

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The Gleichberge are two small volcanic hills in Thuringia, Germany. The higher peak is Großer Gleichberg, at 679 meters, and the nearby Kleiner Gleichberg is 641 meters high. They form a wooded, island-like mountain range about 8 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide, located just east of the town Römhild in the Hildburghausen district.

These hills are remnants of ancient volcanic activity in the Heldburger Gangschar. The Großer Gleichberg lies near the village of Gleichamberg, while the Kleiner Gleichberg sits on the Rhine–Weser watershed near the Lange Berge and the Thuringian Highland. The two peaks are roughly 3 kilometers apart and together represent the highest points of the Grabfeld region.

Geographically, the Gleichberge are surrounded by the Rhön to the west, the Thuringian Forest to the northeast, the Lange Berge to the southeast, the Haßberge to the south, and the Grabfeld area to the southwest.

Rivers and water: Water from the hills feeds various streams. The Milz and related headstreams drain toward the southwest to the Main via the Franconian Saale, while streams on the northeastern side drain toward the Werra and then the Weser.

At the foot of the Großer Gleichberg is the village of Gleichamberg. The landscape includes several reservoirs: Buchenhof, Haina, Römhild, Roth I and Roth II. In 2011, Roth I was drained due to dam-safety concerns; the other reservoirs are used for fishing and irrigation.

The Gleichberge extend about eight kilometers from north to south and three kilometers from east to west.