Tom`s travels: Zittau Mountains (24/08/2024)

On a day trip, Ania and I decided to head south to Saxony to an area known as the Zittau Mountains. This hilly area which reaches a maximum elevation of 793m is located in the southeastern part of the state and straddles the the Saxon-Bohemian border. After taking a couple of trains we switched to a bus and then reached the town of Oybin. Scenically set in a small valley surrounded by these hills with the typical and beautiful sandstone formations, it has been a popular spot for 19th-century romantic painters such as Caspar David Friedrich as well as a place for rest and recuperation being a Kurort, a certified spa resort. We walked through the tiny town center and started ascending the hill named like the town. Shortly up our climb, we came upon the Bergkirche, a beautiful baroque church built in 1734. Its peculiarity was that the interior followed the slope of the hill and thus had a kind of gradient seating from the door down to the high altar. Furthermore, it was beautifully decorated with wooden painted fittings. Continuing on up we then passed through the sandstone formations, sided by tall pillars and walls of stone. We took some of the most scenic narrow passes through these formations which like others in the area have always enticed me. Eventually, after the climb we reached the hilltop at about 514m where the castle and monastery of Oybin are located. The castle was originally built during the 14th century and then the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV had an imperial house built here as well as a monastery which was given to the Celestine order. During the Hussite Wars, the castle was attacked but managed to resist. However, with the Reformation the monastery was dissolved and the slow decay began. Following heavy damage during the 16th century by lightning and then rockfall in the 17th century, the whole complex was abandoned and later used as a quarry. In the 19th century, the place attracted Romantic painters such as Caspar David Friedrich and Carl Gustav Carus, as well as others, who made the picturesque ruins famous around the world with their landscapes. After paying for the ticket we entered the complex and followed the main path going through a first and then second gate. At the top we entered the church, still featuring the exterior walls but without a roof. It was a beautiful example of Gothic architecture in which master builders from the Prague Cathedral participated. The place was made even more beautiful by a violinist and piano player playing music inside the nave. Climbing the partly surviving southern tower to the top we then also had a great view of the ruins, and surrounding rocky and mountainous landscape. Back down we then visited the rest including the castle part with the imperial house, as well as the picturesque cemetery, and the high point of Oybin Hill. From here we had an amazing view and in the distance could easily make out the city of Zittau. Particularly nice was also the view from the cemetery of the church and castle built on the cliffside over a deep rocky ravine. After visiting the complex we headed back into town and then walked through to start our ascent of the next set of hills. The climb was quite easy and consistent, eventually leading to the Töpfer a 582m high hill. Here was a mountain hut packed with people as well as a flat part of the rocks with a cross and an incredible view. Straight ahead was the city of Zittau and the plains surrounding it while to the right was the Turów Coal Mine and thermal power station of the Polish town of Bogatynia and further the Czech Jizera Mountains. After enjoying the view we walked along the ridgeline admiring many rock formations which here take all kinds of shapes and forms and get funny names such as the Brooding Hen, the Turtle, or the Parrot. Walking along the ridgeline we saw some nice viewpoints among the rock formations and admired the panorama mostly facing toward Czechia, but with the occasional viewpoint of Oybin as well. We followed the path heading downhill until we crossed a road and followed the path back up another hill. We reached the top at an altitude of 749m where a 25m high stone lookout tower was built at the end of the 19th century. Some few hundred meters away, on a twin peak, we then reached a mountain hut with a beautiful viewpoint. Here ran the border line between Germany and Czechia and from the Czech side of the hut a lookout provided an amazing view of the Czech hilly landscape. From there, after enjoying the view we walked downhill on the other side and reached the village of Hain. We continued walking through nice countryside and thick forest until we reached another area with rocky formations. The site used to have quarries and we passed an old wooden smithy, before walking through a man-made path sided by high rock walls and a viewpoint. Here down below was the Schwarzes Loch, or black hole, a 50m deep rock cauldron with high walls only accessible through a rock-cut staircase and like others in the area used as a quarry. We continued on along the path and saw other rock formations, like the ones from before, with interesting names such as the large and small organs due to them looking like organ tubes. After reaching the border once again we followed the path around a gorge and eventually reached the last large rock formation, the Nonnenfelse, or Nuns' Rock. A steep stone staircase led up, sided by tall rock walls to the top of the formation. A hut was located here but it had unfortunately closed, as we had hoped to get a beer or something to snack. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the view from the top with the light turning golden as the sun was starting to go down. After a walk through some more scenic rocky outcrops, we eventually headed downhill and reached the town of Jonsdorf just in time to catch our bus and then later train back home.