Saxon Switzerland National Park (german: Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz), is a
national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
in the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Free State of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a ...
, near the Saxon capital
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
. It covers two areas of 93.5 km² (36.1 mi²) in the heart of the German 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 ...
, which is often called (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 Sand ...
(german: Sächsische Schweiz).
The national park adjoins
Bohemian Switzerland National Park ( cz, České Švýcarsko) in 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 ...
.
Geography
Location
The National Park is situated in the centre of a natural area of almost 710 km² (274 mi²). This region, called
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 Sand ...
is cultivated by humans in many places. Smaller towns and villages such as
Bad Schandau
Bad Schandau (; hsb, Žandow) is a spa town in Germany, in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, at the mouth of the valley of the Kirnitzsch and in the area often described as S ...
or
Königstein in the district of
Sächsische Schweiz are part of this region.
The core area of the National Park has a
quiescent area of 40% and is covered almost completely by woodland. The status of National Park, which grants the highest natural protection in Germany, was attributed in 1990. The park lies – in two geographically separate areas – within the district of
Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (german: Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge) is a district ('' Kreis'') in Saxony, Germany. It is named after the mountain ranges Saxon Switzerland and Eastern Ore Mountains.
History
The district was estab ...
.
Landscape
Saxon Switzerland is an intensively fissured and rocky
canyon
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...
landscape. The highest peak of the National Park is at 556 meters (1,814 feet) above sea level, but is only a short distance from the valley of the
Elbe river
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, 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 ...
at 110 to 120 meters (360 to 390 feet). It offers several different habitats and
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
zones due to its strong vertical division. The National Park still hosts some forms of forest without human intervention, which is unusual in central Europe. The special forms of mountain forest and gorge forest are endangered in Europe generally. Because of the
sabulous soil and fissures, many places in this area are drier than normal for the
temperate zone.
Western region
This region includes the
Bastei area, the
Lilienstein
Lilienstein is a highly distinctive mountain in Saxon Switzerland, in Saxony, southeastern Germany, and was once the site of a Bohemian castle. It is one of the few table mountains on the east of the river Elbe and constitutes the symbol of the ...
and the
Polenz valley. In the west it is bordered by
Wehlen and
Lohmen, in the north by Lohmen and
Hohnstein
Hohnstein () is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262.
Geography
It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km s ...
, in the east by Hohnstein and
Goßdorf
Hohnstein () is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262.
Geography
It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km s ...
and in the south by
Porschdorf,
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 ...
and Wehlen. The municipality of
Waitzdorf
Hohnstein () is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262.
Geography
It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km s ...
lies entirely within the western region. Important peaks are the Lilienstein (415 m), the Bastei (305 m), the
Hockstein and the Brand (317 m). The Grünbach and the associated lake of
Amselsee
The Amselsee (also ''Amselsee Rathen'') is a small reservoir in the spa town of Rathen in Saxon Switzerland. It is located in the Free State of Saxony in Eastern Germany.
Reservoir
To create the Amselsee in Saxon Switzerland, in 1934 a stream, ...
and the Polenz are the only noteworthy bodies of water.
Eastern region
The eastern region includes the area of the
Schrammsteine
The Schrammsteine are a long, strung-out, very jagged group of rocks in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains located east of Bad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland in eastern Germany. To the north they are bordered by the Kirnitzsch valley, to the south by the ...
rocks, the
Großer Winterberg
Großer Winterberg is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany. It is the second highest mountain of the Saxon Switzerland and is located on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is ...
mountain, the
Großer Zschand valley and the hinterland of Saxon Switzerland (''Hinterer Sächsischen Schweiz''). To the west it is bordered by
Bad Schandau
Bad Schandau (; hsb, Žandow) is a spa town in Germany, in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, at the mouth of the valley of the Kirnitzsch and in the area often described as S ...
and
Altendorf and to the north by Altendorf,
Ottendorf and
Hinterhermsdorf
Sebnitz (; hsb, Zebnica) is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany.
Geography
The town of Sebnitz lies in the valley of the river Sebnitz and its side valleys between 251 and 460 m above sea level betwe ...
. To the east and south it is bordered by the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. From
Schmilka
Bad Schandau (; hsb, Žandow) is a spa town in Germany, in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, at the mouth of the valley of the Kirnitzsch and in the area often described as ...
to Bad Schandau 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 Re ...
forms the southern boundary of this region. Important peaks are the Großer Winterberg (556 m), the
Kuhstall (337 m) and the
Raumberg (459 m). The
Kirnitzsch
The Kirnitzsch ( German), in Bohemia also called the Kirnischt,Messtischblatt Nr. 86 Hinterhermsdorf, published by the Reichsamt für Landesaufnahme, Landesaufnahme Sachsen 193Digitalised at www.fotothek.de/ref> cz, Křinice, is a right tribut ...
is the only noteworthy body of water.
[https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bundesrecht/natpsschweizv/gesamt.pdf ]
Tourism and recreation
The definition of
national Park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
is, in some cases, in conflict with tourism and recreation. One objective is to raise the inviolate area to 75%, which means limiting the areas of hiking and climbing.
The development of the network of paths in today's national park took place in the first half of the 19th century and completed at the beginning of the 20th century. The historical route guides illustrate it thoroughly (e.g., Meinhold's route guide). The first hiking restrictions were declared as early as in the 1980s (Thorwalder Wände ridge path). Today the National Park has a marked network of 400 km of hiking trails, numerous mountain restaurants, and some 50 km of cycling trails. It is compulsory to use marked routes in the National Park. Though visitors may use all paths outside the core zone, only marked trails are allowed within the core zone.
The painter's way
The painter's way (
Malersweg in German) represents only a small part of the park area, but due to its beauty and being a well-developed trail, most visitors prefer it for hiking. The Bastei bridge is the first view of the Valley for many visitors and is extensivel
photographedan
documented
Rock climbing
The peculiar form of the sandstone cliffs in Saxon Switzerland national park attracts crowds of climbers every year. However, since these cliffs are sandstone, it is important to treat them with cautioun.
The following rules, introduced at the beginning of the 20th century, are in place to preserve the national park sandstones:
# Visitors are not permitted to climb when the rock is wet or crumbling.
# Ropes are only allowed for safety purposes and abseiling.
# Metal safety equipment, such as chock-stones and solid rings, are forbidden.
# Visitors are not allowed to use chemical aids such as magnesia.
# The rock surface must not be modified – except to attach retaining rings on first ascents.
Information posts
* National Park Headquarters
** National Park Centre in Bad Schandau
** National Par
Officein Bad Schandau
* Information posts
** Schweizerhaus on the
Bastei
The Bastei is a rock formation rising 194 metres above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of 305 metres above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ...
**
Amselfall mountain hut
** Log cabin on the
Brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
** Eishaus on the Großer Winterberg
** Armoury in the Großer Zschand
** Haus Beize and Waldhusche in
Hinterhermsdorf
Sebnitz (; hsb, Zebnica) is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany.
Geography
The town of Sebnitz lies in the valley of the river Sebnitz and its side valleys between 251 and 460 m above sea level betwe ...
Points of interest
*
Pflanzengarten Bad Schandau, a regional
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
*
Bastei Bridge
See also
*
Bohemian Switzerland
Bohemian Switzerland ( cs, České Švýcarsko; german: Böhmische Schweiz), also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.
It has been a protected area (as Elbe Sandstone Mountains Protected Landscap ...
References
External links
Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz
{{Authority control
National parks of Germany
Protected areas of Saxony
Protected areas established in 1990
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Saxon Switzerland
1990 establishments in East Germany