Elbe Sandstone Mountains

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Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Lilienstein, one of several small mesas in the Saxon part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Highest point
Peak D!nsk" Sn#n!k
Elevation $%& m '%,&$% ft(
Coordinates )*+,$-,,./ 0,+1-%).E 2oordinates3 )*+,$-,,./ 0,+1-%).E
Geography
Countries 4ermany and 25ech 6epublic
States Saxony and 7ohemia
Geology
Period 2retaceous
Type of rock Sandstone
8he Elbe Sandstone Mountains,
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also called the Elbe sandstone highlands
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'4erman3
Elbsandsteingebirge; 25ech3 Labsk pskovce( is a mountain ran<e straddlin< the border bet=een
the state of Saxony in southeastern 4ermany and the /orth 7ohemian re<ion of the 25ech
6epublic, =ith about three>?uarters of the area lyin< on the 4erman side@ 8he mountains are also
referred to as Saxon S=it5erland and 7ohemian S=it5erland in both 4erman and 25ech
'Schsische Schweiz and Bhmische Schweiz in 4erman, Sask vcarsko and esk vcarsko
in 25ech( or simply combined as Saxon>7ohemian S=it5erland@
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An both countries, the
mountain ran<e has been declared a national park@ 8he name derives from the sandstone =hich
=as carved by erosion@ 8he river Elbe breaks throu<h the mountain ran<e in a steep and narro=
valley@
Contents
0 4eo<raphy
o 0@0 Extent
o 0@% 8errain
o 0@& 4eolo<y
% 2onservation
& 8ourism
, 6eferences
) See also
1 External links
Geography
Extent
8he Elbe Sandstone Mountains extend on both sides of the Elbe from the Saxon to=n of Birna in
the north=est to=ard 7ohemian D!n in the southeast@ 8heir hi<hest peak =ith $%& m '%,&$% ft(
is the D!nsk" Sn#n!k in 7ohemian S=it5erland on the left bank of the river in 7ohemian
S=it5erland north of D!n@ 8he mountain ran<e links the Cre Mountains in the =est =ith the
Lusatian Di<hlands ran<e of the Sudetes in the east@ Saxon S=it5erland and the Eittau Mountains
of the Lusatian Mountains form the Saxon>7ohemian 2halk Sandstone 6e<ion@
8he Elbe valley in 7ohemian S=it5erland@ 8he mountains on the hori5on lie in Saxony
Terrain
8he most strikin< characteristic of this deeply dissected rocky mountain ran<e is the
extraordinary variety of terrain =ithin the smallest area@ Fni?ue amon<st the 2entral European
Fplands are the constant chan<es bet=een plains, ravines, table mountains and rocky re<ions
=ith undeveloped areas of forest@ 8his diversity is ecolo<ically si<nificant@ 8he variety of
different locations, each =ith its o=n conditions in terms of soil and microclimate, has produced
an enormous richness of species@ 8he numbers of ferns and mosses alone is unmatched by any
other of the 4erman central uplands@
8he occurrence of Elbe sandstones and hence the Elbe Sandstone Mountains themselves is
related to =idespread deposition by a former sea in the Fpper 2retaceous epoch@ Cn the Saxon
side of the border the term GElbe Halley 2retaceousG 'Elbtalkreide( is used, referrin< to a re<ion
stretchin< from MeiIen>Cberau in the north=est throu<h Dresden and Birna into Saxon
S=it5erland, and =hich is formed by sandstones, planers and other rocks as =ell as basal
con<lomerates '!r"ndschottern or Basalkonglomerate( of older ori<in@ Several erosion relics
from 6einhardts<rimma throu<h Dippoldis=alde and the 8harandt Forest to Siebenlehn form
isolated examples south of Dresden@ 8hey are mainly characterised by sandstones@
Cn the 7ohemian side the sandstone beds continue and form part of the /orth 7ohemian
2retaceous '#ordbhmische $reide(@ 8he chalk sediments of the Eittau 7asin are counted as part
of the latter due to their re<ional><eolo<ical relationships@ 8he sedimentary se?uences of the
2retaceous sea continue across a =ide area of the 25ech 6epublic to Moravia@ 8o<ether these
beds form the Saxon>7ohemian 2retaceous Eone@ An 25ech <eolo<ical circles, the Elbe Halley
2retaceous is described as the foothills of the 7ohemian 2retaceous 7asin
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'Bhmischen
$reidebecken(@
Geology
Dercules pillars in the 7iela valley
8he eroded sandstone landscape of this re<ion =as formed from depositions that accumulated on
the bottom of the sea millions of years a<o@ Lar<e rivers carried sand and other eroded debris into
the 2retaceous sea@ 6ou<h ?uart5 sand, clay and fine marl sank and became lithified layer by
layer@ J compact sandstone se?uence developed, about %* x &* kilometres =ide and up to 1**
metres thick datin< to the lo=er 2enomanian to Santonian sta<es@
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8he tremendous variety of
shapes in the sandstone landscape is a result of the subse?uent chemical and physical erosion and
biolo<ical processes actin< on the rocks formed from those sands laid do=n durin< the
2retaceous Beriod@
8he inlets of a 2retaceous sea, to<ether =ith marine currents, carried a=ay sand over a very lon<
period of time into a shallo= 5one of the sea and then the dia<enetic processes at differin<
pressure re<imes resulted in the formation of sandstone beds@ Ats stratification is characteri5ed by
variations in the hori5ontal structure 'deposits of clay minerals, <rain si5es of ?uart5, differences
in the <rain>cement( as =ell as a typical but fairly small fossil presence and variably porous
strata@
Jfter the 2retaceous sea had retreated 'marine re<ression(, the surface of the land =as shaped by
=eatherin< influences and =atercourses, of =hich the Elbe made the deepest incision@ Later the
Lusatian <ranodiorite =as uplifted over the 1** metre thick sandstone slab alon< the Lusatian
Fault and pushed it do=n=ards until it fractured@ 8his northern boundary of the sandstone
deposit lies rou<hly alon< the line Billnit5KDohnsteinKDinterhermsdorfKLrMsnM L!pa
'Schnlinde(@
2ra<s near 6athen
An the 8ertiary period, the adNacent re<ion of the 2entral 7ohemian Fplands and the Lusatian
Mountains =as shaped and affected by intense volcanism; but individual intrusions of ma<ma
also forced their =ay throu<h the sandstone platform of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains@ 8he most
strikin< evidence of this phase in the earthOs history are the conical basaltic hills of 6P#ovsk"
vrch '%osenberg(, 2ottaer Spit5ber< and 6aumber<, but also 4roIer and Lleiner Winterber<@
Jt its south=estern ed<e the sandstone plate =as uplifted by over %** metres at the Larsdorf
Fault, =hereby the slab =as tilted even more and increased the <radient of the Elbe 6iver@ 8he
=ater masses cut valleys into the rock =ith their streambeds and contributed in places to the
formation of the rock faces@ Cver time the <radients reduced, the streambed of the Elbe =idened
out and chan<ed its course time and a<ain, partly as a result of the climatic influences of the ice
a<es@
8he mineral composition of the sandstone beds has a direct effect on the morpholo<y of the
terrain@ 8he fine><rained form =ith clayey>silty cement bet=een the ?uart5 <rains causes banks
and slopes =ith terracin<@ 8he beds of sandstone =ith siliceous cement are typically the basis of
the formation of rock faces and cra<s@ Small variations in the cement composition of the rock can
have a visible impact on the landscape@
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Elbe Sandstone <ets its characteristic cuboid appearance from its thick hori5ontal strata 'massive
beddin<( and its vertical fissures@ An 0Q&R 7ernhard 2otta =rote about this in his comments on
the geognostic map3 GHertical fissures and cracks cut throu<h, often virtually at ri<ht an<les, the
hori5ontal layers and, as a result, parallelepiped bodies are formed, that have <iven rise to the
description Suader Sandstone@G@
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&"ader is 4erman for an ashlar or block of stone, hence the
name GS?uare SandstoneG is also used in En<lish@
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8he term quader sandstone ountains or square sandstone ountains
'&"adersandsteingebirge(, introduced by Danns 7runo 4einit5 in 0Q,R, is an historic, <eolo<ical
term for similar sandstone deposits, but =as also used in connexion =ith the Elbe Sandstone
Mountains@
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Doneycomb =eatherin<
8he fissures =ere formed as a result of lon<>term tectonic stresses on the entire sandstone
platform of the mountain ran<e@ 8his net=ork of clefts runs throu<h the sandstone beds in a
relatively re<ular =ay, but in different directions in t=o re<ions of the ran<e@
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Subse?uent
=eatherin< processes of very different forms and simultaneous complex deposition 'leachin<,
frost and salt =ed<in<, =ind, solution =eatherin< =ith sinterin< as =ell as bio<enic and
microbial effects( have further chan<ed the nature of the rock surface@ For example, collapse
caves, small hole>like cavities 'honeycomb =eatherin<( =ith hour<lass>shaped pillars 'Sand"hr(,
chimneys, crevices and mi<hty, ru<<ed rock faces@
Many morpholo<ical formations in the rocky landscape of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are
suspected to have been formed as a conse?uence of karstification@ Amportant indicators of such
processes in the poly<enetic and polymorphic erosion landscape of the Elbe Sandstone
Mountains are the furro=s =ith parallel rid<es bet=een them '<rykes and clints( that look like
cart ruts and =hich are particularly common, as =ell as extensive cave systems@ 8hey are
occasionally described by the term pseudokarst@ 8he application of the concept to several erosion
formations in the sandstone of this mountain ran<e is ho=ever contentious@
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25ech
<eolo<ists have identified in ?uar5ite>cemented sandstone areas in the northern part of the
7ohemian 2retaceous 7asin, karst features in the shape of spherical caverns and cave
formations@ Jccordin< to them, these emer<ed as a result of solution processes by =ater in
complex interactions =ith iron compounds from nei<hbourin< or intrusive ma<matic>volcanic
rocks@ 8he variation in relief in these sandstone re<ions is explained on the basis of these
processes@
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8he Elbe Sandstone Mountains are the <reatest cretaceous sandstone erosion
complex in Europe@
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Duman>induced chan<es caused by nearly 0,*** years of continual sandstone ?uarryin< have
also contributed in parts of the sandstone hi<hlands to the appearance of the landscape today@ 8he
fissures 'called Loose by the ?uarrymen( played an important role here, because they provided in
effect natural divisions in the rock that =ere helpful =hen demolishin< a rock face or =hen
dressin< the rou<h blocks of stone@
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8he sandstone of this re<ion is a sou<ht>after buildin< material used for example, for imposin<
city edifices such as the 2hurch of Cur Lady in Dresden@
Conservation
Lar<e parts of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are under statutory protection@ An 4ermany there is
the national park re<ion of Saxon S=it5erland, =hich consists t=o elements3 the Saxon
S=it5erland /ational Bark itself, founded in 0RR* and covered an area of R& kmT; and the
protected area surroundin< it that =as founded in 0R)1 and covers %Q$ kmT@ 8he 4erman part of
the ran<e =as also desi<nated in May %**1 as one of the $$ most important national <eotopes in
4ermany by the Jcademy of 4eosciences in Danover@
An the 7ohemian part of the ran<e there has been a nature reserve in the northeastern re<ion since
0R$% called the Elbe Sandstone Brotected Jrea ''hr(n)n( kra*inn( oblast Labsk pskovce( =ith
an area of &%, kmT@ An %***, the 7ohemian S=it5erland /ational Bark '#(rodn park esk
vcarsko( =as established =ith an area of $R kmT, brin<in< around $** kmT of the ran<e under
protection as a natural and cultural landscape@
Touris
8he Brebischtor '+rav,ick( br(na(, a natural sandstone arch in 7ohemian S=it5erland
8he 7astei brid<e in Saxon S=it5erland
8he Elbe Sandstone mountains have been a popular destination for tourists for more than %**
years, and for climbers for more than 0** years@ At is also a popular recreation area for the nearby
Saxon capital Dresden@ Blaces of interest include the 7astei cliffs near 6athen, the LUni<stein
Fortress, BravickM brMna, the Schrammsteine, Bfaffenstein, and the valleys of the Lirnit5sch and
Lamenice rivers@ 8here are some 0,,*** climbin< routes via =hich mountain climbers can
con?uer 00** free>standin< peaks@ Hisitors can experience the natural scenes on the asphalt Elbe
cycle path, or on board a steam paddleboat that is part of the oldest fleet of its kind in the =orld@
8he Elbe Sandstone Mountains have numerous facilities for cure and rehabilitation@ 8he re<ion
has a tradition of many years@ 8he discovery of ferrous and sulphurous sources in 7ad Schandau
in 0$&* led to its development as a health resort and the buildin< of s=immin< baths@