the teutoburg forest is a peripheral section in the north of the german central uplands, and forms a long narrow range of hills (comprising three ridges) extending from the eastern surroundings of paderborn in the south to the western surroundings of osnabrück in the northwest. south of the city centre of bielefeld, a gap called the bielefeld pass bisects the range into the "northern teutoburg forest" (two thirds) and "southern teutoburg forest" (one third). in addition, the northeastern and southwestern ridges are cut by the exits of the longitudinal valleys between the ridges.