Amsel Falls
Encyclopedia
The Amsel Falls are a waterfall in Saxon Switzerland
in East Germany, roughly a kilometre north of the famous Bastei crags.
As the Grünbach stream passes through a particularly narrow, gorge-like section of the Amselgrund
valley it plunges over the largest step in the river bed - roughly 10 m high - forming a wide spray of water that pours over the Amselloch, a collapsed cave
. The roof of this 15 metre long cave was made of sandstone
blocks that have collapsed. In the ravine
and in the cave pothole
s and kolk
s bear witness to the meltwaters that coursed down into the River Elbe during earlier ice age
s.
The original stream (first mentioned in 1548) flowed almost entirely through the cave, but in the 19th century it had been diverted over the top of the cave to the cascade site. The waterfall was additionally, like the Lichtenhain Waterfall
, arranged to flow through a small, controllable weir wicket in order to produce a stream-like torrent, in order to enhance its touristic attraction. In the immediate vicinity of the waterfall is the Amselfall mountain hut with an inn and next to it is the information office of the Saxon Switzerland National Park
opened in 1992. It is open from April to October, but closed in winter.
As one of the first artists, who captured the beauty of Saxon Switzerland along the so-called Artists' Way (Malerweg), Christian Gottlob Hammer painted the Amsel Falls.
Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland 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 Sandstone Mountains....
in East Germany, roughly a kilometre north of the famous Bastei crags.
As the Grünbach stream passes through a particularly narrow, gorge-like section of the Amselgrund
Amselgrund
The Amselgrund is the name given to the valley of the Grünbach stream in the heart of Saxon Switzerland in Eastern Germany. It runs from Niederrathen upstream to Rathewalde. The wild and romantic valley takes hikers through the Rathen rock basin with its bizarre rock formations...
valley it plunges over the largest step in the river bed - roughly 10 m high - forming a wide spray of water that pours over the Amselloch, a collapsed cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
. The roof of this 15 metre long cave was made of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
blocks that have collapsed. In the ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
and in the cave pothole
Pothole
A pothole is a type of disruption in the surface of a roadway where a portion of the road material has broken away, leaving a hole.- Formation :...
s and kolk
Kolk
A kolk is an underwater vortex that is created when rapidly rushing water passes an underwater obstacle in boundary areas of high shear. High velocity gradients produce a violently rotating column of water, similar to a tornado. Kolks are capable of plucking multi-ton blocks of rock and...
s bear witness to the meltwaters that coursed down into the River Elbe during earlier ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
s.
The original stream (first mentioned in 1548) flowed almost entirely through the cave, but in the 19th century it had been diverted over the top of the cave to the cascade site. The waterfall was additionally, like the Lichtenhain Waterfall
Lichtenhain Waterfall
The Lichtenhain Waterfall is a waterfall formed by the Lichtenhainer village brook and is situated in the Kirnitzsch Valley in the Saxon Switzerland of Germany.-Overview:...
, arranged to flow through a small, controllable weir wicket in order to produce a stream-like torrent, in order to enhance its touristic attraction. In the immediate vicinity of the waterfall is the Amselfall mountain hut with an inn and next to it is the information office of the Saxon Switzerland National Park
Saxon Switzerland National Park
The Saxon Switzerland National Park , is a National Park in the German Free State of Saxony near the capital city of Dresden. It covers two areas of 93.5 km² in the heart of the German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains which is called the Saxon Switzerland .The National Park is not far away...
opened in 1992. It is open from April to October, but closed in winter.
As one of the first artists, who captured the beauty of Saxon Switzerland along the so-called Artists' Way (Malerweg), Christian Gottlob Hammer painted the Amsel Falls.