The valley stations are, in the north, in the village of Bischofsgrün and, in the south, in Fleckl, part of the municipality of Warmensteinach.

The first person to write about the Fichtel Mountains, Matthias von Kemnath (actually Matthias Widmann, b 23 February 1429 in Kemnath) reported in 1476: Ein bergk, hoch, weitt, wolbekant ligt in Beiern, gnant der Fichtelberg ("A mountain, high, wide and well-known, lies in Bavaria, known as the Fichtelberg").

It is also mentioned in old documents: around 1317 the Lords of Hirschberg were enfeoffed inter alia with the walt zu dem Vythenberge.

By the 14th century iron ore was being extracted in the St. Veith Pit on the southern foot of the Ochsenkopf.

A tower was decided upon, but it was many years before the project could proceed; the First World War putting paid to the plans initially.

The tower replaced a 50 metres (160 ft) guyed steel tube TV mast that collapsed in January 1958 as result of icing.

The Ochsenkopf summit is served by two chairlifts built by the Italian cable car manufacturer, Leitner, from Sterzing.

In summer there is a sommerrodelbahn (dry toboggan run) on the mountain which is accessible from the middle station of the chairlift.