Cottaer Spitzberg
Encyclopedia
The Cottaer Spitzberg is a 390.8 m high basalt
dome on the western edge of Saxon Switzerland
. Since 1979 the hill has been a protected area
due to its geological and botanical features.
to the east and the Bahre
to the west. It rises above the village of Cotta at its northern foot as well as the local area by at least 70 metres and forms a clear landmark
in the countryside.
breakthrough of basalt through the Cretaceous
sandstone sediments of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
. In geological region that is composed largely of sandstone
, granite
and gneiss
the hill is very much a geological exception.
The hill is one of a line of volcanic inselbergs of which the Stolpener Burgberg
, the Wilisch and the Geising
are the best-known. On the rocky summit of the Spitzberg, the grey and black columns of the trachyte basalt are exposed. They are each around 30 centimetres thick, rising almost vertically and were intensively quarried in the 19th century by a quarry company. Only a remnant of the summit remains, because a triangulation column of the central European meridian arc
and Saxon State Survey Office had been erected on it in 1865.
, the Large Pink or the Bristly Bellflower are amongst the species that used to grow here but no longer occur. In spite of that the Spitzberg continues to be a botanically interesting habitat. On the northern side there is an oak and hornbeam wood (including Small-leaved Lime, Norway Maple
, Sycamore Maple
and Ash) interspersed with species like the lungwort
s. In addition the sun-exposed hill is also home to several warmth-loving plants like the Crown Vetch
and the Hoary Cinquefoil.
a small bunker
system was built on the eastern side of the hill. This was intended to be the emergency command post for the district of Pirna
in the event of a nuclear attack on Dresden
. On the western side facing Dresden an observation post was erected.
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
dome on the western edge of Saxon Switzerland
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....
. Since 1979 the hill has been a protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
due to its geological and botanical features.
Location and area
The hill, which was once also known Cottaer Spitze, is located on the plateau between the valleys of the GottleubaGottleuba
The Gottleuba is a small river in the Czech Republic and Germany, left tributary of the Elbe. It source is in the eastern part of the Ore Mountains, north of Ústí nad Labem. After a few km it crosses the Czech-German border, and flows the rest of its 34 km in Saxony. It passes the Gottleuba Dam and...
to the east and the Bahre
Bahre (river)
Bahre is a river of Saxony, Germany....
to the west. It rises above the village of Cotta at its northern foot as well as the local area by at least 70 metres and forms a clear landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
in the countryside.
Geology
The Cottaer Spitzberg was formed as a result of the TertiaryTertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
breakthrough of basalt through the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
sandstone sediments of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe sandstone highlands is a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, with about three-quarters of the area lying on the German side...
. In geological region that is composed largely 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,...
, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
the hill is very much a geological exception.
The hill is one of a line of volcanic inselbergs of which the Stolpener Burgberg
Stolpen
Stolpen is a town in the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.- References :...
, the Wilisch and the Geising
Geisingberg
The Geisingberg is a striking basalt mountain in the eastern Ore Mountains in the German federal state of Saxony.- Location and surrounding area :...
are the best-known. On the rocky summit of the Spitzberg, the grey and black columns of the trachyte basalt are exposed. They are each around 30 centimetres thick, rising almost vertically and were intensively quarried in the 19th century by a quarry company. Only a remnant of the summit remains, because a triangulation column of the central European meridian arc
Meridian arc
In geodesy, a meridian arc measurement is a highly accurate determination of the distance between two points with the same longitude. Two or more such determinations at different locations then specify the shape of the reference ellipsoid which best approximates the shape of the geoid. This...
and Saxon State Survey Office had been erected on it in 1865.
Botanical features
The Cottaer Spitzberg is also a significant area for botany, although the quarry has reduced the variety of local plants. Species like the Sword-leaved HelleborineSword-leaved Helleborine
Cephalanthera longifolia, common name the Sword-leaved Helleborine or Narrow-leaved Helleborine, is an herbaceous perennial plant with rhizome belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:...
, the Large Pink or the Bristly Bellflower are amongst the species that used to grow here but no longer occur. In spite of that the Spitzberg continues to be a botanically interesting habitat. On the northern side there is an oak and hornbeam wood (including Small-leaved Lime, Norway Maple
Norway Maple
Acer platanoides is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and southwest Asia, from France east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran....
, Sycamore Maple
Sycamore Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, is a species of maple native to central Europe and southwestern Asia, from France east to Ukraine, and south in mountains to northern Spain, northern Turkey, and the Caucasus. It is not related to other trees called sycamore or plane tree in the Platanus...
and Ash) interspersed with species like the lungwort
Lungwort
The lungworts are the genus Pulmonaria of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe and western Asia, with one species east to central Asia...
s. In addition the sun-exposed hill is also home to several warmth-loving plants like the Crown Vetch
Crown Vetch
Securigera varia, commonly known as Crown Vetch or Purple Crown Vetch, is a low-growing legume vine. It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe and is commonly used throughout the United States and Canada for erosion control, roadside planting and soil rehabilitation...
and the Hoary Cinquefoil.
History
At the beginning of the 1960s in the heyday of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
a small bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
system was built on the eastern side of the hill. This was intended to be the emergency command post for the district of Pirna
Pirna
Pirna is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 40,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as a Große Kreisstadt...
in the event of a nuclear attack on Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. On the western side facing Dresden an observation post was erected.
Views
The Cottaer Spitzberg has long been a popular destination because, on the top of the treeless basalt summit, there is a panoramic all-round view, only restricted closer in. In clear conditions the views extend as far as:- North: over PirnaPirnaPirna is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 40,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as a Große Kreisstadt...
to the Lusatian Highlands, - Northwest: over the Dresden BasinDresden BasinThe Dresden Basin is a roughly 45 km long and 10 km wide area of the Elbe Valley between the towns of Pirna and Meißen. The city of Dresden lies in the Dresden Basin.- Geography :...
, - West and south: over the Elbe Valley Slate Mountains to the crest of the Eastern Ore MountainsEastern Ore MountainsThe Eastern Ore Mountains form a natural region that covers the eastern part of the Saxon Ore Mountains. It is part of the major landscape unit, the Saxon Highlands and Uplands...
, - East: over the Gottleuba valley to the table mountainTable (landform)A table, when used in reference to landforms, is a hill, flank of a mountain, or mountain, that has a flat top.This landform has numerous names in addition to "table", including:*Tuya*Tepui*Mesa*Potrero*Butte*Plateau*Terrace-Description:...
s of Saxon SwitzerlandSaxon SwitzerlandSaxon 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....
and the volcanic cone of the Central Bohemian Uplands.
Sources
- Peter Rölke (publ.): Am Rande der Sächsischen Schweiz. Reihe Wander- & Naturführer Sächsische Schweiz Vol. 3, Dresden, 2004.