The most interesting points of the Lusatian and Zittau Mountains
List of the most interesting points:
1. Česká Kamenice
An ancient town with a preserved town center, it is the prettiest town in the foothills of the Lusatian Mountains. Its main landmarks are the Church of St. James the Greater and the pilgrimage Chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
2. Zámecký vrch near Česká Kamenice
A prominent hill above Česká Kamenice with the ruins of Kamenice Castle at the top. Inside the castle palace, there is a built-in wooden tower providing a beautiful view of the surroundings.
3. Jehla near Česká Kamenice
A rocky promontory above Česká Kamenice with a nice view of the town and its surroundings. In the wooded ravine below Jehla lie the remains of the Brethren's Altar, and nearby is another rock lookout, Ponorka (Submarine).
4. Pustý zámek
A rock promontory in the Kamenice valley forming a vertical wall with well-developed columnar jointing of phonolite. The rock offers shelter to diverse plant communities and also bears the small ruins of Fredevald Castle. At the top is a modified lookout.
5. Kamenický Šenov
A glassmaking town with the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist and many preserved masonry and timbered glass-factor houses. A glass museum is established in one of them.
6. Panská skála
A hillock with an abandoned quarry whose wall is formed by well-developed basalt columns up to 15 m long. The rock, resembling organ pipes, is the most visited geological formation in Bohemia. There is a nice view from the top.
7. Prysk and Střední vrch
A picturesque village with the Baroque Church of St. Peter and Paul. A hiking circuit around the village connects the most interesting spots, among which Střední vrch with its beautiful surrounding view deserves special attention.
8. Klučky
An elongated ridge with an abandoned quarry whose walls are formed by regularly developed, vertical basalt columns. There is a nice view of the surroundings from the quarry.
9. Zlatý vrch near Líska
A prominent hill with an abandoned quarry, whose massive rock wall consists of uniformly developed basalt columns up to 30 m long. The rocky summit of the hill is covered with a beech forest featuring protected plants.
10. Studenec
A broad hill with numerous scree fields, covered with deciduous and mixed forests typical of the Lusatian Mountains. At the summit stands a unique iron lookout tower offering a somewhat limited view of the landscape. Chamois live in large numbers on the hill and in its surroundings.
11. Líska (Nature reserve)
In the deciduous forest on the slope of Černý vrch, there is an unusually extensive growth of perennial honesty (Lunaria rediviva), which emits an intense fragrance when in bloom.
12. Pavlínino údolí
A romantic valley of the Chřibská Kamenice, up to 120 m deep in places, winding between steep rocky cliffs. A popular hiking trail leads through the canyon along the stream to Jetřichovice.
13. Chřibská and Louka U Brodských
A small town in the Chřibská Kamenice valley made famous by a glassworks from the 1st half of the 15th century. There are numerous folk timbered buildings, and a museum is set up in the birthplace of Thaddaeus Haenke on the square. Near the center lies the protected U Brodských meadow with an abundant occurrence of the western marsh-orchid.
14. Krásná Lípa
A town on the upper reaches of the Křinice, serving as the seat of Bohemian Switzerland National Park. Its dominant feature is the Baroque Church of St. Mary Magdalene, and a major attraction is the Bohemian Switzerland House. A small museum is located in the oldest half-timbered house on the square.
15. Vápenka near Doubice
An important geological reserve with Jurassic limestones that occur nowhere else in Bohemia. A flowery beech forest with numerous rarer plants grows on the limestone. In 1940, what is likely the oldest educational trail in Bohemia was created here.
16. Kyjovské údolí
A deep rocky canyon of the Křinice stream between Kyjov and the state border, popular for excursions. There are many interesting rock formations and the remains of the so-called Kyjov Castle, which is likely the remnant of an ancient settlement. A winter attraction is the ice decorations in Fairy Cave (Jeskyně víl) and beautiful icefalls in adjacent ravines.
17. Vlčí hora
A prominent basalt mountain with a lookout tower providing a 360-degree panoramic view of the wide surroundings. At the foot of the hill is the restored Veronika spring.
18. Jiřetín pod Jedlovou a Křížová hora
A mining town with a pleasant square dominated by the Church of the Holy Trinity and a Baroque rectory housing a mining museum. Above the town lies Křížová hora (Mount Calvary) with a pilgrimage site, and at its foot is an old silver mine.
19. Jedlová
A massive mountain with an inn and a lookout tower, offering a magnificent panoramic view of the surroundings. On the northeastern slope of the mountain, there is a somewhat neglected ski area.
20. Tolštejn
One of the few relatively well-preserved castle ruins in the Lusatian Mountains sits on a prominent rock promontory above Jiřetín. Beautiful view of the surroundings from the top.
21. Údolí Milířky (Milířka Valley)
A forested valley near Dolní Podluží hiding numerous remains of ancient ore mining and quartz quarrying for glassworks. A mining educational trail connects the most interesting sites.
22. Kytlice
A recreational village in the picturesque Kamenice valley, surrounded by forests on all sides. The village features the Church of St. Anthony of Padua and many folk timbered cottages. On the southern edge of the village is a protected crocus habitat, and just beyond the village is a restored forest theater.
23. Nový Bor
A glassmaking town with the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and numerous Empire-style townhouses, one of which currently houses a glass museum. Beyond the town lies a large Forest Cemetery.
24. Klíč
A prominent mountain and one of the most famous landmarks of the Lusatian Mountains. The summit area is covered by a protected thermophilous oak forest, with an extensive scree field on the southwestern side. The rocky summit offers an exceptionally wide panoramic view.
25. Sloup v Čechách a Sloupské skály
A recreational village featuring an attractive rock castle and hermitage. The village also boasts a newer chateau and numerous folk houses. In the surroundings are the Sloupské skály (Sloup Rocks) with numerous small caves, lookouts, and a forest theater. Radvanecký pond features a natural swimming area.
26. Svojkov and Modlivý důl
A small village with a rock castle ruin. Above the village rise the Svojkov Rocks, and in the romantic valley behind them lies Modlivý důl (Prayer Valley) with a rock chapel.
27. Údolí samoty (Solitude Valley)
A forested valley lined in places with sandstone rocks featuring the prominent Perníková stráž (Gingerbread Guard). At the end of the valley stands the legend-shrouded Panenská skála (Virgin Rock).
28. Velenické údolí
The valley features old underground quarries where sand for grinding mirrors was once mined. Water to drive the mirror factories was brought via a race partially carved into the rocks. Near Velenice are the remains of Velenice Castle and the rock Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre.
29. Kunratice near Cvikov and Skála smrti
A village with the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which houses a remarkable gallery of modern glass. Nearby stands Jiří Pačinek's glassworks with a sales gallery and a freely accessible glass garden. In a romantic nook of the Svitávka stream near the village lies the Skála smrti (Rock of Death) with a relief depicting a scene from a local legend about a miller's daughter who, pursued by an evil knight, jumped from the high rock in despair.
30. Dutý kámen near Cvikov
A romantically landscaped excursion site from the early 20th century with several resting places, a small cave, a relief, and a rock lookout. In the middle of the ridge is a protected rock knoll with a remarkable example of columnar sandstone weathering.
31. Křížový vrch near Cvikov
On the hill behind Cvikov is a mature avenue of trees with Stations of the Cross chapels leading to the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre with Calvary at the top.
32. Mařenice
A picturesque village with the Baroque Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Above the village is Calvary with a restored chapel, and fine folk reliefs are carved into the rocks along the old road to Kunratice.
33. Milštejn
Meager remains of a castle stand on a rock promontory of silicified sandstone, which was quarried in the past as a raw material for millstones. The rock massif features an interesting rock arch and several smaller caves.
34. Přehrada Naděje
A reservoir in the forested valley of Hamerský stream used to power a mill and sawmill in a nearby settlement. Remains of old water races, partially carved into the rock, are preserved to this day. On the steep slope of Suchý vrch above the dam is the Ledová jeskyně (Ice Cave).
35. Luž / Lausche
The highest mountain in the Lusatian and Zittau Mountains (793 m) lies directly on the state border. Its summit offers a beautiful view of both Bohemia and Germany. A ski area is located on the northern slope of the mountain.
36. Waltersdorf
A picturesque resort below Luž famous for its large number of beautifully maintained folk timbered and half-timbered houses with umbrella-arched frames, the most interesting of which are connected by an educational trail. The village also has a museum dedicated to the history of milling, weaving, and forestry.
37. Nonnenfelsen
A prominent rocky ridge with a deep chasm and numerous lookouts, popular for excursions. An inn stands among the rocks, and a via ferrata climbing route has been established for climbing enthusiasts.
38. Jonsdorfer Felsenstadt and Mühlsteinbrüche
A remarkable sandstone rock town with numerous rock formations and lookouts. In the area known as Mühlsteinbrüche, there are several quarries where stone was once quarried to make millstones. An educational trail passes through the most interesting spots.
39. Oybin
Vast ruins of a castle and monastery on the summit of a massive sandstone rock knoll, one of the main tourist attractions of the Zittau Mountains. Below the castle is a spa resort with a beautiful small church, connected to Zittau by a narrow-gauge steam railway.
40. Töpfer
A remarkable hill above Oybin with numerous rock formations and lookouts. The most famous formation is a rock arch with a lookout adjacent to the restaurant at the summit.
41. Hvozd / Hochwald
A massive two-peaked mountain on the Czech-German border. The main southern peak features a restaurant with a viewing terrace, while the northern side has a lookout tower with another restaurant. Beautiful views open up from both peaks.
42. Jablonné v Podještědí
One of the historically oldest towns in northern Bohemia retains its picturesque character to this day, complemented by the Basilica of St. Lawrence and St. Zdislava with a monastery, and the former Church of the Virgin Mary, whose tower now serves as a lookout. The town also features Nový Falkenburk Chateau and other monuments.
43. Lemberk
A chateau resulting from the Renaissance reconstruction of an originally Gothic castle stands on an elongated hill near Jablonné v Podještědí. Its surroundings feature a group of half-timbered cottages, the Bredov Chateau, and linden avenues leading to the former cemetery chapel and Zdislava's spring.
44. Bílé kameny (White Rocks)
A protected group of sandstone rocks resembling a group of resting elephants, notable for their striking whiteness and rounded shapes.
45. Popova skála
A prominent sandstone rock and dominant feature of the northeastern Lusatian Mountains above Hrádek nad Nisou. At its top is an established lookout with a beautiful panoramic view.
46. Vraní skály and Horní skály
Interesting groups of sandstone rocks near Horní Sedlo, highly sought after by rock climbers. An educational trail leads around the rocks.
47. Grabštejn
A massive, originally Gothic castle rebuilt in Renaissance style, standing on a steep promontory near Chotyně. The jewel of the castle is the restored Chapel of St. Barbara with painted decoration; the castle tower offers a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. The chateau below the castle is used by the military.