Taunus, mountain range, west central Germany, extending in a north-eastern direction from the eastern bank of the Rhine, near its confluence with the Main. The rock is mainly schist and quartzite. The range reaches its highest elevation (880 m/2,886 ft) in the north-east. It is steepest, however, in the south-west, where many crags are crowned with ruined castles. The higher portions of the range are covered with forests, and on the lower slopes are vineyards yielding some of the best Rheingau wines. The range is famous for numerous mineral springs, including those of Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, and Bad Nauheim.