Taunus
| Taunus | |
|---|---|
| die Höhe, 'the height' | |
Hochtaunus with Großer Feldberg as its highest point | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Großer Feldberg (Hochtaunus) |
| Elevation | 878 m (2,881 ft) |
| Coordinates | 50°14′N 08°27′E / 50.233°N 8.450°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 75 km (47 mi) NE/SW |
| Width | 35 km (22 mi) NW/SE |
| Area | 2,700 km2 (1,000 mi2) |
| Geography | |
Geographical subdivision of the Taunus with shaded relief | |
| Country | Germany |
| Region(s) | Hesse & Rhineland-Palatinate |
| Parent range | Rhenish Slate Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Variscan |
| Rock age | Devonian |
| Rock type(s) | Phyllite, Greywacke |
The Taunus (German pronunciation: [ˈtaʊnʊs] ⓘ) is a mountain range in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located north west of Frankfurt and north of Wiesbaden. The tallest peak in the range is Großer Feldberg at 878 m; other notable peaks are Kleiner Feldberg (825 m) and Altkönig (798 m).
The range is bounded on three sides (west, north, and south) by the Rhine and its tributaries, namely the Lahn and the Main, and on the east by the plain of Wetterau. It spans the districts of Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus-Kreis, Rheingau-Taunus, Limburg-Weilburg, and Rhein-Lahn. The range is known for its geothermal springs and mineral waters that formerly attracted members of the European aristocracy to its spa towns. The car line Ford Taunus is named after it.