Schmücke
File:Unstrutbrücke Sachsenburg.JPG over the Thuringian Gate to the northwestern end of the Schmücke with the bridge over the Unstrut carrying the B 85 and B 86]]
File:Thueringer Pforte.JPG; the forested ridge with the Obere and Untere Sachsenburg on the left is the eastern end of the Hainleite; opposite on the right is the start of the Schmücke.]]
The Schmücke, also called the Kahle Schmücke, is a hill ridge up to {{Höhe|380.1|DE-NHN|link=true}}{{GeoQuelle|DE|BFN-Karten}} and only about 7 km² in area.Area measurement using [http://geographie.giersbeck.de/hohe_schrecke-schmuecke-finne-uebersicht.kmz Geopfade] (kmz, 10 kB) It lies within the districts of Kyffhäuserkreis and Sömmerda in the German state of Thuringia.
Geography
Together with the Hohe Schrecke, the Finne and the Hainleite, the Schmücke borders the northern rim of the Thuringian Basin. It lies between Hauteroda, Oberheldrungen, Heldrungen, Heldrungen station, Gorsleben and Hemleben. It is separated from the Hainleite in the west by the Sachsenburg Gate (Sachsenburger Pforte).
Hills
The hills of the Schmücke include the following, sorted by height in metres (m) above NHN:{{GeoSource|DE|BFN-Karten}}
- Künzelsberg (380.1 m), between Hauteroda and Beichlingen, Kyffhäuserkreis/Sömmerda district
- Monraburg (377.0 m), near Burgwenden, Sömmerda district
- Wendenburg (353.8 m), near Burgwenden, Sömmerda district
→ for these and other mountains and elevations see the Schmücke section of the article "List of mountains and hills in Thuringia"
The surface of much of the Schmücke is fissured by ancient quarries.
Transport
In 2008, the 1,729 m long Schmücke Tunnel was built to take the A71 motorway under the Schmücke.
Conservation
On 30 April 2013, the western part of the Schmücke south of Heldrungen together with the adjacent forests and southern slopes was designated a nature conservation. This also includes parts of the municipalities of Heldrungen, Oberheldrungen, Gorsleben and Hemleben. The nature reserve has an area of around 550 hectares.[http://www.kyffhaeuser-nachrichten.de/news/news_lang.php?ArtNr=126949 Die Kahle Schmücke bei Heldrungen], press release by the State Management Office (Landesverwaltungsamt), vom 1 May 2013, retrieved 26 November 2014, at kyffhaeuser-nachrichten.de
The landscape is characterized by a patchwork of dry grassland, chalk heathland, pastureland, clearance cairns, shrubs, orchards, forests and arable fields. Medieval mining pits stretch along the ridge of the ridge. The size and diversity of the various heat- and dry-loving biotopes as well as their rarity provide habitats for a large number of animals and plants that have adapted to these dry conditions, which is particularly important for inter alia wild bees, grasshoppers and butterflies. In winter, western barbastelles find shelter here, which is why the area is currently considered the largest known hibernation roost for this species of bat in Thuringia.
Day trippers and hikers prefer the Schmücke because of its beauty and the extraordinary views over the Thuringian Basin. Hiking and cycling on the existing paths as well as horse riding on marked bridleways are popular activities. The area is also used by farmers, foresters and hunters.
Climate
{{Weather box
| location = Schmücke (1991–2020 normals)
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|Jan high C = -0.8
|Feb high C = 0.0
|Mar high C = 3.6
|Apr high C = 8.9
|May high C = 13.3
|Jun high C = 16.4
|Jul high C = 18.5
|Aug high C = 18.5
|Sep high C = 13.7
|Oct high C = 8.5
|Nov high C = 3.5
|Dec high C = 0.2
| year high C = 8.7
|Jan mean C = -2.8
|Feb mean C = -2.3
|Mar mean C = 0.6
|Apr mean C = 5.0
|May mean C = 9.2
|Jun mean C = 12.3
|Jul mean C = 14.3
|Aug mean C = 14.3
|Sep mean C = 10.2
|Oct mean C = 5.8
|Nov mean C = 1.3
|Dec mean C = -1.8
|year mean C = 5.5
|Jan low C = -4.7
|Feb low C = -4.4
|Mar low C = -1.9
|Apr low C = 1.8
|May low C = 5.6
|Jun low C = 8.7
|Jul low C = 10.9
|Aug low C = 11.0
|Sep low C = 7.4
|Oct low C = 3.6
|Nov low C = -0.5
|Dec low C = -3.7
| year low C = 2.8
| precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 66.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 50.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 49.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 38.5
|May precipitation mm = 55.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 72.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 92.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 82.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 75.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 80.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 67.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 69.9
| year precipitation mm = 816.4
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 20.9
|Feb precipitation days = 18.0
|Mar precipitation days = 18.2
|Apr precipitation days = 14.6
|May precipitation days = 15.5
|Jun precipitation days = 16.4
|Jul precipitation days = 17.3
|Aug precipitation days = 15.1
|Sep precipitation days = 15.1
|Oct precipitation days = 17.4
|Nov precipitation days = 19.3
|Dec precipitation days = 22.0
|year precipitation days = 208.9
|Jan sun = 44.3
|Feb sun = 65.4
|Mar sun = 109.9
|Apr sun = 161.2
|May sun = 183.4
|Jun sun = 182.8
|Jul sun = 190.8
|Aug sun = 188.4
|Sep sun = 135.0
|Oct sun = 89.9
|Nov sun = 46.2
|Dec sun = 38.8
|year sun = 1434.7
|Jan humidity = 93.6
|Feb humidity = 91.1
|Mar humidity = 87.4
|Apr humidity = 78.8
|May humidity = 79.3
|Jun humidity = 79.6
|Jul humidity = 78.9
|Aug humidity = 78.6
|Sep humidity = 85.8
|Oct humidity = 91.4
|Nov humidity = 93.8
|Dec humidity = 93.9
| source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231012173845/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Schmuecke_10552.csv
| archive-date = 12 October 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Schmuecke_10552.csv
| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 13 October 2023}}
}}
References
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{{Coord|51|14|37|N|11|16|33|E|type:mountain_elevation:249_region:DE-TH|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmucke (Hohenzug)}}