Lange Meile


The Lange Meile is a plateau in the Franconian Jura in south Germany which is up to about. It lies within the region of Franconian Switzerland in the Upper Franconian county of Forchheim in the state of Bavaria.

Location

The Lange Meile is located on the western fringes of the Franconian Jura in the Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park. Its plateau lies between the four towns of Heiligenstadt to the north-northeast, Ebermannstadt to the east, Forchheim to the south-southeast and Eggolsheim to the west. Nearby villages include Eschlipp to the north-northeast, Niedermirsberg, Breitenbach, Neuses-Poxstall, Reifenberg and Weilersbach to the east, Ehrlersheim and Rettern to the south, Kauernhofen, Weigelshofen, Drosendorf, Götzendorf to the west and Drügendorf to the north-northwest.
On the northern edge of the Lange Meile, on its boundary with the main plateau of the Franconia Jura between Eschlipp and Drügendorf are limestone quarries. Here the Staatsstraße 2260 from Ebermannstadt runs past Eschlipp between the quarries to Drügendorf. To the east the plateau descends into the valley of the Wiesent, a tributary of the Regnitz and, to the west, into that of the Eggerbach, a short tributary of the Main-Danube Canal.

High points

Among the high points on the Lange Meile, which are only gentle hill summits or eminences, are the following above sea level :
The rocks of the Lange Meile were formed by the Jurassic Sea and consist of clay, sandstone and limestone. Sediments of the Malm characterise the plateau. Its source waters are used to supply drinking water to several nearby villages. It has a high lime content.

Reserves

On the eastern flanks of the Lange Meile is one of the western areas of the Special Area of Conservation called Wiesent Valley and Side Valleys, the western flank of this table-like hill is part of the southern area of the SAC known as the Albtrauf from the Frisener Warte to the Lange Meile. Large parts of the Lange Meile lie in the western part of the Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest protected area, established in 2001 founded and covering an area of 1,021.64 square kilometres.

Landscape and sights

The steep sides of the Lange Meile are forested, the plateau itself is bare in many areas and is used for agriculture.
On the Lange Meile are Feuerstein Castle Airfield south of the Mirsberg Heights and, south of that, the Feuerstein Observatory. On the Wachknock, to the east, is the youth hostel of Feuerstein Castle.