The Upper Palatine Hills is a Hercynian range of rolling hills (Hügelland) and valleys running from the Upper Palatine-Bavarian Forest in the (north-)east and the Franconian Jura in the (south-)west. It lies mostly within the Bavarian province of Upper Palatinate, hence the name. The range, which is oriented northwest to southeast, is about 100 kilometres long, but only between 7 and 35 kilometres wide and covers and area of 2,000 km2. The best known settlements are Weiden (Ostrand), Amberg and Schwandorf.