Heldburger Gangschar

The Heldburger Gangschar is a Cenozoic volcanic system in the Franconian parts of southern Thuringia and northern Bavaria.

The term Gangschar refers to the fact that few of the volcanoes have retained their characteristic topographical shape, rather their former activity can be detected by filled fissures known as Gänge ("[mineral] veins").

The surrounding area, the Heldburger Land, belongs entirely to the northern part of the volcanic zone.

South of the river Main their former activity is also detectable in the northern Steigerwald and Franconian Jura.

The following are the best known, preserved volcanic cones, together with details of their height, approximate age and rock in brackets: Older volcanoes such as the Oberleinleiter in the Franconian Jura (31 million years old, olivine-melilite-nephelinite and olivine-nephelinite) are no longer recognizable as such by their topography.