The Osser (Czech: ''Ostrý'') is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

on the border between

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 ...

and the

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 ...

, in the

Bavarian Forest The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest The Bavarian Forest (German: ' or ''Bayerwald''; bar, Boarischa Woid) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech border and is co ...

and

Bohemian Forest The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as Šumava () and in German as Böhmerwald, is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from Plzeň Region and South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria ...

and which belongs to the Kunisch Mountains.

Location and description

A distinction is made between the ''Großer Osser'' (1,293 m) ''(Velký Ostrý)'', which is right on the border, and the ''Kleiner Osser'' (1,266 m) ''(Malý Ostrý)'' to the west which is entirely within

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

. Both summits lie on the German side in the county of

Cham Cham or CHAM may refer to: Ethnicities and languages *Chams, people in Vietnam and Cambodia **Cham language, the language of the Cham people ***Cham script *** Cham (Unicode block), a block of Unicode characters of the Cham script *Cham Albania ...

and on the municipal boundary between Lohberg to the southeast and Lam to the northwest. Due to their pointed shape, both summits are unique within the Bavarian Forest. They dominate the backdrop of the Lamer Winkel, an area of lowland between Arrach, Lam and Lohberg. The Osser lies in the county of Cham and thus within the Bavarian province of

Upper Palatinate The Upper Palatinate (german: Oberpfalz, , ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany, and is located in the east of Bavaria. Geography The Upper Palatinate is a landscape with low mountains and numerous ponds and lakes ...

. The Czechs also called the Osser affectionately the "breasts of the

mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations ar ...

". Locals also call the local mountain of Lam the "

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

of the Bavarian Forest". Osser Schutzhütte Haus Willmann

At the summit of the Großer Osser on the Bavarian side of the border is the

mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization ...

of ''Haus Willmann'', which is owned by the

Bavarian Forest Club The Bavarian Forest Club (german: Bayerische Wald-Verein), or BWV, is a German club that promotes culture, local history and folklore, nature and landscape conservation, and walking in the Bavarian Forest. It has its head office in Zwiesel and is ...

, which is managed during the summer months and also offers overnight accommodation. The pointed shape of the summit on the German side of the border means that the last 50 vertical metres or so involve an easy climb. Because the Osser is one of the best viewing mountains in the whole of the Bavarian Forest, it receives large numbers of German and Czech visitors on summer weekends, both hikers and tourists. From the summit cross there is an extensive view into Czechia over the Bohemian Forest, as well as to the nearly summit of the Arber and, in good visibility, even as far as the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

. Various footpaths lead to the Osser, all of which require

sure-footedness Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciat ...

. Start points are Lohberg, Silbersbach, Lam, Sattelparkplatz or Lambach. All the routes are steep, rocky and relatively challenging.

History and legends

According to more recent research, the name Osser is of Celtic origin. In the 12th century the castle of Osserburg was built on the Osser. It has since been completely destroyed. There are several fairy tales and legends about the Osser. The most popular and best known figure is the Osser Giant (''Osserriese'') and his stories. For example, it is said that there was once a third summit.

Geotopes

Osser Saddle

The striking rocky rib of the Osser Saddle (''Ossersattel'') consists of the so-called Osser Quartzite, which is heavily folded here. Besides mica slates,

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...

s are common in the area of the Kunisch Mountains. Quartzites are metamorphic rocks formed from sediments that were very rich in quartz sand. The Osser Saddle is designated by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU) as a geo-scientifically valuable geotope (Geotope number: 372R009).

Kleiner Osser

The rocky summit of the Little Osser consists of quartz-rich and heavily folded mica slate. The rocky crags and numerous blocks are the result of increased weathering and erosion under the

periglacial Periglaciation (adjective: "periglacial", also referring to places at the edges of glacial areas) describes geomorphic processes that result from seasonal thawing of snow in areas of permafrost, the runoff from which refreezes in ice wedges and o ...

climatic conditions of recent geological history. The crags are designated by the LfU as a geotope of geo-scientific importance (Geotope number: 372R011) and as a

natural monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...

Großer Osser

The crags of the Großer Osser consist of quartz-rich, strongly folded mica slates, which contain numerous garnets (up to 4 mm diameter) in places. The crags are designated by the LfU as a geotope of geo-scientific value (Geotope number: 372R010). They have also been awarded the official seal of approval as one of ''Bavaria's most beautiful geotopes'' by the LfU.

Planned pumped-hydropower station

The planned Johanneszeche pumped storage hydropower station, rejected by the townsfolk of Lam, was to have located its upper basin on the Osser and an almost four kilometre long section of the pressure pipe was to be laid along an existing path.

References

External links

Osser slide show at ''waldberge.de''

panorama-photo.net: Großer Osser (360°)
Annotated all-round view from the Großer Osser {{authority control One-thousanders of Germany Mountains of Bavaria Klatovy District Bohemian Forest Mountains of the Bavarian Forest Cham (district) One-thousanders of the Czech Republic