Bohemian Switzerland
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Bohemian Switzerland ( cs, České Švýcarsko; german: Böhmische Schweiz), also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. It has been a
protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
(as Elbe Sandstone Mountains Protected Landscape Area) since 1972. The region along the right side of the Elbe became a
national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
on 1 January 2000, the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. The National Park is adjacent to the
Saxon Switzerland National Park Saxon Switzerland National Park (german: Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz), is a national park in the German Free State of Saxony, near the Saxon capital Dresden. It covers two areas of 93.5 km² (36.1 mi²) in the heart of the German ...
in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.


Etymology

The concept of Bohemian Switzerland developed in the 18th century as an extension of the
Saxon Switzerland Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sands ...
, the part of the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemia ...
in Germany. The name was inspired by the
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
artists
Adrian Zingg Adrian Zingg (April 15, 1734, St.Gallen – May 26, 1816, Leipzig) was a Swiss painter. Life Adrian Zingg received his professional training with his father, the steel cutter Bartolomäus Zingg, then became an apprentice with the engra ...
and
Anton Graff Anton Graff (18 November 1736 – 22 June 1813) was an eminent Swiss portrait artist. Among his famous subjects were Friedrich Schiller, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Heinrich von Kleist, Frederick the Great, Friederike Sophie Seyler, Johann Gottf ...
, who were reminded of their homeland by the geography of northern
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
.


Geography

Bohemian Switzerland lies on the Czech side of the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemia ...
north of
Děčín Děčín (; german: Tetschen, 1942–1945: ''Tetschen–Bodenbach'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It is the 7th largest municipality in the country by area. Administrative parts D ...
, on both banks of the
Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
River. It extends eastward into the
Lusatian Mountains The Lusatian Mountains ( cs, Lužické hory; german: Lausitzer Gebirge; pl, Góry Łużyckie) are a mountain range of the Western Sudetes on the southeastern border of Germany with the Czech Republic. They are a continuation of the Ore Mountains ...
and westward into the Ore Mountains. Its highest elevation is the mountain Děčínský Sněžník at 723 m above sea level.


History

A large number of castles were built in the Bohemian Switzerland region in order to guard the trade routes. Several of these castles were also used as
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
robber baron hideouts. The region had been very sparsely populated since ancient times by a few Germanic, Slavic and Celtic tribes, but was finally colonised in the 12th century by German-speaking settlers. Until the end of the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
it was home to
German Bohemians German Bohemians (german: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer, i.e. German Bohemians and German Moravians), later known as Sudeten Germans, were ethnic Germans living in the Czech lands of the Bohemian Crown, which later became an integral part of ...
(later known as the
Sudeten Germans German Bohemians (german: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer, i.e. German Bohemians and German Moravians), later known as Sudeten Germans, were ethnic Germans living in the Czech lands of the Bohemian Crown, which later became an integral part ...
). Since its German population was driven out after 1945, the area has been almost exclusively settled by Czechs. The area first began to draw tourists in large numbers in the 19th century. Artists of the
Romantic era Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
were inspired by the wild beauty of the rocks. For example, the
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
, Ludwig Richter or the
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...
,
Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his opera ...
, who set his famous
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
''
Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 181 ...
'' in the vicinity of
Rathen Rathen is a village in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Saxony, Germany, about southeast of Dresden. The village occupies both banks of the river Elbe and, as of 2020, has 339 inhabitants. Rathen is a popular tourist destination, the main sigh ...
.


National park

As early as 1972, the whole of Bohemian Switzerland was placed under protection. When, in 1990, the status of
Saxon Switzerland Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sands ...
was raised to that of a
national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
, efforts were stepped up to place the Bohemian part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains under national park protection as well. A plan devised in 1991 envisaged that this would also include the
Růžovský vrch The Růžovský vrch, also ''Růžák'' (German: ''Rosenberg'') is the dominant mountain (619 m) in the Bohemian Switzerland east of the River Elbe in the Czech Republic. Its almost circular cone shape makes it one of the most typical representati ...
(formerly ''Rosenberg''). This plan was heavily resisted by various groups, such as the owners of
hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
land and the
forestry industry The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry -- when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. furn ...
. A compromise proposal also fell on stony ground. In 1999 the Czech government decided to create the Bohemian Switzerland National Park to its originally envisaged extent. On 1 January 2000 the valuable forest and rock landscape, the gorges of the Kamnitz and the area around the ''Růžovský vrch'' were given national park status. The headquarters of the national park authority is located in
Krásná Lípa Krásná Lípa (; german: Schönlinde) is a town in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,400 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Dlouhý Důl, Hely, Kamenná Horka, Krásný Buk, Kyjov, ...
, and there are information offices in
Hřensko Hřensko (german: Herrnskretschen) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. Administrative parts The village of Mezná is an administrative part of Hřen ...
and
Jetřichovice Jetřichovice (german: Dittersbach) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants. The folk architecture in the village of Vysoká Lípa is well preserved and i ...
.


Sights

*
Pravčická brána The Pravčická brána (in English also ''Pravčice Gate'', ''Pravčická Gate'' or ''Pravcicka Gate''; german: Prebischtor) is a narrow rock formation in Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic, approx. 3 km northeast of Hřensko. With a ...
, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe * Edmund's Gorge and Stille Gorge, a rock ravine near
Hřensko Hřensko (german: Herrnskretschen) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. Administrative parts The village of Mezná is an administrative part of Hřen ...
*
Tisa Rocks The Tisa Rocks or Tisa Walls ( cs, Tiské stěny; german: Tyssaer Wände) are a group of rocks in the Czech Republic. It is located in the western Elbe Sandstone Mountains, not far from its topographical boundary with the Ore Mountains. The regi ...
, a rock labyrinth * Děčínský Sněžník, highest mountain of Bohemian Switzerland with its observation tower * Šaunštejn Castle, a robber baron
rock castle A rock castle (german: Felsenburg) is a type of medieval castle that directly incorporates natural rock outcrops into its defences to such an extent that the rock formations define the structure of the castle. Topographically, rock castles are c ...
near Vysoká Lipa *
Mariina skála Mariina skála (german: Marienfels) is a 428 m rocky hill in the Czech Republic, located in the region of Bohemian Switzerland not far from Jetřichovice. It was named in the 19th century after Princess Marie Kinsky. Before that, the hill was know ...
, viewing point near
Jetřichovice Jetřichovice (german: Dittersbach) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants. The folk architecture in the village of Vysoká Lípa is well preserved and i ...
* Vilemínina stěna, viewing point near Jetřichovice *
Rudolfův kámen The Rudolfův kámen (also called Ostroh; german: Rudolfstein or ''Hoher Stein'') is a rocky hill in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in the Czech Republic, in the territory of Jetřichovice. It is located in the in the Bohemian Switzerland National Pa ...
, viewing point near Jetřichovice * Pavlinino údolí, the deeply incised, romantic valley of the Chřibská Kamenice stream *
Falkenštejn Castle Ruins of Falkenštejn Castle (Falkenstein Castle, german: Felsenburg Falkenstein) can be found next to the village Jetřichovice in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The castle was built probably during 13th century. First writ ...
, rock castle *
Rock chapel Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
in Všemily *
Belvedér The Belvedér (German and English: ''Belvedere'') is the oldest viewing point in Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic. It is located near Labská Stráň high above the Elbe valley. History Prince Franz-Karl Clary-Aldringen had the viewing ...
near
Labská Stráň Labská Stráň (german: Elbleiten) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. Labská Stráň lies approximately north of Děčín, north-east of Úst ...
, mountain *
Malá Pravčická brána The Malá Pravčická Brána (german: Kleines Prebischtor) is a natural sandstone arch, that is about high and wide. It is located in Bohemian Switzerland near the ''red'' signposted main hiking route (E3 European long distance path) between Mez ...
, natural sandstone arch *Na Tokáni, historic inn and hostel *Emperor's View on the Stoličná hora near
Děčín Děčín (; german: Tetschen, 1942–1945: ''Tetschen–Bodenbach'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It is the 7th largest municipality in the country by area. Administrative parts D ...
*The well tended villages with their
Upper Lusatian house The Upper Lusatian house or ''Umgebindehaus'' is a special type of house that combines log house, timber-framing and building stone methods of construction. It is especially common in the region running from Silesia through Upper Lusatia and North ...
s


External links

*
Photographs of the regionBohemian Switzerland - about it, free download map for travellers created by localsPhotos of Bohemian Switzerland
{{Authority control National parks of the Czech Republic Protected areas established in 1972 Bohemia Elbe Sandstone Mountains Geography of the Ústí nad Labem Region Tourist attractions in the Ústí nad Labem Region