The Rhön Mountains are a gentle, volcanic-born range straddling Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia, famous as the 'land of open vistas' for their wide, treeless summits and sweeping panoramas. It's a place where the pace of life slows down and the scenery charms with quiet, rugged beauty.

Expect rolling hills, grassy dome-shaped peaks called 'Kuppen', basalt outcrops and deep valleys cloaked in beech forest. Much of the region forms a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, so nature sets the rhythm here - rare birds, blooming meadows and half-timbered villages dot the landscape.

Highlights:

• Wasserkuppe (950 m) - the highest peak in the Rhön and in Hesse, a paradise for paragliders and glider pilots
• Kreuzberg (928 m) - the 'holy mountain' of the Rhön, with a Franciscan monastery and monk-brewed beer
• Milseburg (835 m) - a former Celtic hillfort with sweeping views over the region

Practical info:

• Best time: May-October, when meadows bloom and trails are dry
• Base towns: Fulda, Gersfeld, Bischofsheim
• Trail difficulty: easy to moderate, family-friendly
• Getting there: by car via the A7 or A66 motorways, or by train to Fulda

Wasserkuppe is the birthplace of German gliding - the first gliders took off here in the 1920s, and colorful paragliders still soar above its summit today.