Wissembourg Gap

The Wissembourg Gap (French: trouée de Wissembourg, German: Weißenburger Senke) is a corridor of open terrain approximately six kilometres (3.7 miles) wide that is situated between the hills of the Palatinate Forest and the Bienwald on the Franco-German border.[1] The gap is dominated by the town of Wissembourg, Alsace, France. The average altitude of the land in the corridor rises from 150 metres by the Bienwald to 250 metres by the Palatinate Forest.

Because of the Wissembourg Gap's position on the Franco-German border, it was a strategic terrain corridor for invading forces during the Franco-Prussian War (Battle of Wissembourg, 1870) and during World War II (Operations Nordwind and Undertone in 1945).

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Coordinates: 49°02′24″N 07°58′12″E / 49.04000°N 7.97000°E / 49.04000; 7.97000


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