The German side belongs to the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, it stretches about 100 km (330,000 ft) from the Bavarian Forest in the south up to the Fichtel Mountains and the Steinwald range in the north.

However, the highest peaks of the range lie along the eastern Czech side in the Plzeň Region of western Bohemia, northwest of the Bohemian Forest.

The southern rim runs from the Cham and Furth Basin across the border to the Všeruby (Neumark) mountain pass, which is part of the Main European Watershed.

The Mittelgebirge range is a mountainous solid mass, its highest point Čerchov being at an altitude of 1,042 m (3,419 ft).

Once a mining area for iron and gold, the uplands feature many steep valleys, medieval castle ruins and numerous hiking trails.