Zeilberg (Itz-Baunach hill country)

Zeilberg
Basalt quarry
Height	462.9 mabovesea level
Location	Haßberge Nature Park, Bavaria, Germany
Mountain	Zeilberge, Itz-Baunach hill country
Coordinates	50° 11′ 48″ N, 10° 41′ 18″ O50.19678110.688419462.9Coordinates 50° 11′ 48″ N, 10° 41′ 18″ O
Type	Volcano
Age of the rock	16 million years
Special features	Basalt quarry, adventure trail

The Zeilberg is a 463 mabove sea level NHN^[1] high mountain in the nature park and district of Hassberge in eastern Lower Franconia, about two kilometres east of Maroldsweisach. It is one of the few still recognizable volcanoes of the Heldburger Gangschar and namesake of the Zeilberge, which as the highest part of the Itz-Baunach-Hügelland geologically flowing to the west, but separated by the Baunachtal, merge into the actual Haßberge.

The volcano is 16 million years old and consists of nepheline basanite.^[2] In 1895, the Erste Bayerische Basaltstein AG began mining the basalt in a quarry near Maroldsweisach. In 1900, Bayerische Hartstein AG followed with mining in the neighbouring Voccawind.^[3] Every year, 20 employees extract 800,000 tons of basalt. The fourth level is 371 metres above sea level (as of 2014)

Tourism

An adventure trail leads around the basalt quarry. The Haus am Zeilberg is a popular venue for events.

Individual references

1. ↑ Map services(Memento of 19 December 2012 in the Internet Archive) of the BfN
2. ↑ The volcano of Oberleinleiter: traces of a maar in the Northern Franconian Alps (PDF; 2.6 MB) –
   Gottfried Hofbauer, NHG Nuremberg (PDF, 2.47 MB)
3. ↑ Fritz Klemm: Rund um den Zeilberg: Markt Maroldsweisach mit allen Ortsteilen. Maroldsweisach 1988, p. 46.