Czech-Saxon Switzerland

Lužické mountains have been a protected landscape area since 1976 and the most valuable locations are included in 12 small protected areas. The natural forest communities are protected in the reservations of Jezevčí vrch, Studený vrch and Klíč, the reservation of Vápenka in the jurassic calcites in Doubice is also valuable. In Marschnerova louka and Louka u Brodských there are frequent appearances of gnat-flowers, but we can also find more endangered species there. The unusually large underbrush of Lunaria rediviva, also called night viola and rich stands of saffrons in Kytlice are also protected. You can also find other interesting plants in Pustý zámek or Zlatý vrch. But these places are better known for there good examples of columned cleat and other volcanic minerals. Other geologically remarkable places are sandstone´ White rocks or The ice cave on Suchý vrch. Right behind the border of the protected landscape area there are 4 other protected areas: the bird reservation Světlík and Velký rybník in Rybniště and the geologically interesting places of Panská skála and Dutý kámen. There are also several memorable trees in the Lužické mountains area. The most famous are the yew in Krompach. You can also follow several educational trails. The first one leads through the geologically interesting area of the lužické failure in Jitrava. The second one tells you about the renewal of the peat bog in Brazilka that had been destroyed by human activity. And the third one in the Milířka valley is focused on the history of mining. A small educational trail was also made under Lemberk in Jablonné v Podještědí.

Geologically the Lužické mountains are mostly made of svrchnokřídovými sandstones. In the tertiary period the sandstones were broken in many places by hot magma that solitified in phonolite and basalt minerals. Because these volcanic minerals are more resistant to erosion than the surrounding sandstones they make compose the basic relief of the Lužické mountains. These minerals are expressed by the long spines and the expressive conical and cumulous hills. On the northern side of the mountains the chalk sandstones are bordered by the granitoid of the lužický hulk and by the lužická failure. This caused the overthrust of the older granite over the younger sandstone. In the Doubice and the surrounding area even the little rafts of jurassic calcite were brought topsides. In the quaternary period erosive activities dominated and caused the large talus fields on the volcanic hillsides. In the Jitrava´region on the east side of the mountains the gravel sands were saved by the continental glaciers that got in here from the north. In the past in many places iron-ore of a low quality was exploited there. In the Jiřetín´s region small pockets of sulphide of copper, lead and zinc with some silver infusion were also exploited there.

Although the Lužické mountains are not very high they create an important climatic boundary dividing the northern flat areas from the Bohemian inland. The highest mountain is Luž at 793 meters. It is situated on the state border with Germany. Other important peaks are Jedlová (774m), Klíč (760m), Hvozd (750m) and Studenec (736m). Thankd to the frequent rains the Lužické mountains are rich in water. The stream Kamenice with its tributaries springs here as well as many tributaries of the Ploučnice river such as Sporka, Svitavka and Heřmanický streams. The northern hills are drained by the river Lužnička. An important european watershed of the Northern and Baltic sea region begins along the mountain’s edge.

More than half of the Lužické mountains is still covered in woods. Until the intensive colonization in the 13th and 14th centuries the Lužické mountains were overgrown by virgin forest consisting mainly of beeches and firs. After the 15th century glass-making increase the forsts were almost destroyed. The original speicies were replaced by spruce and pine monocultures. The rest of the beechwoods were saved only in isolated pockets in the shade or on mountains peaks. Nowadays we can see spruce and pine as well as European beech, sycamore and Norway maple. Even an ash or sometimes a lime or an elmtree can be seen. In some places winter or summer oak grows well. And surounding streams alder thrives. In the 80‘s the woods were damaged by industrial emissions. In recent years the air pollution has gotten better but still the woods, especially in higher elivations, are still endangred. They hardly resist the insect pests and dificult weather conditions. The worst hit areas are the surrounding hills of Jedlová.

In the Lužické mountains there are many plant species and some of them are endangered species in our country. The flourishy beechwoods are botanically very interesting. In their underbrush you can find baneberry, Dentaria bulbifera, Dentaria enneaphyllos, woodruff, dog´s mercury, Lilium martagon, and Lunaria rediviva. You can also often see mezereon. In the spring time in some meadows you can find oxlip In wet places you can see snowflake, valerian, marsh valerian, buckbean, red-rattle, rush and several sedge species. In some places there are still orchid meadows with Dactylorhiza majalis and Dactylorhiza longebracteata. Rarely you can also find twayblade, the lesser butterfly orchid, gnat-flower and marsh helleborine. In the forest glades there are plenty of bloodyfinger that has spreading from the west. Appearance of glacial relicts of Aster alpinus and Woodsia ilvensis is also very interesting but in the last years has notbeen seen. The appearance of Ledum palustre and drosera is very rare.

Source: www.luzicke-hory.cz