Hercynian Forest in the context of "Harz"

The Bavarian Forest (German: Bayerischer Wald [ˈbaɪʁɪʃɐ ˈvalt] or Bayerwald [ˈbaɪɐvalt] ; Bavarian: Boarischa Woid) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany, that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech border and is continued on the Czech side by the Bohemian Forest (Czech: Šumava). Most of the Bavarian Forest lies within the province of Lower Bavaria, but the northern part lies within the Upper Palatinate. In the south it reaches the border with Upper Austria.

Geologically and geomorphologically, the Bavarian Forest is part of the Bohemian Forest - the highest of the truncated highlands of the Bohemian Massif. The area along the Czech border has been designated as the Bavarian Forest National Park (240 km), established in 1970 as the first national park in Germany. Another 3,008 km has been designated as the Bavarian Forest Nature Park, established 1967, and another 1,738 km as the Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park, established in 1965. The Bavarian Forest is a remnant of the Hercynian Forest that stretched across southern Germania in Roman times. It is the largest protected forest area in central Europe.

The Harz (German: [haːɐ̯ts] ), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart (hill forest). The name Hercynia derives from a Celtic name and could refer to other mountain forests, but has also been applied to the geology of the Harz. The Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz with an elevation of 1,141.1 metres (3,744 ft) above sea level. The Wurmberg (971 metres (3,186 ft)) is the highest peak located entirely within the state of Lower Saxony.