The Cottaer Spitzberg is a 390.8 m high

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...

dome on the western edge of

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 San ...

. Since 1979 the hill has been a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

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

Gottleuba The Gottleuba (Rybný potok in the Czech Republic) is a small river in the Czech Republic and in Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Elbe. The Gottleuba's source is in the eastern part of the Ore Mountains, north of Ústí nad Labem. ...

to the east and the

Bahre Bahre is a river of Saxony, Germany. It is a tributary of the Elbe through the Seidewitz and the Gottleuba. Its source is in the eastern Ore Mountains. It gave its name to the municipality Bahretal. See also *List of rivers of Saxony A ''l ...

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 A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

in the countryside.

Geology

The Cottaer Spitzberg was formed as a result of the

Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non- avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

breakthrough of basalt through the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

sandstone sediments 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 Bohemian ...

. In geological region that is composed largely of

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies und ...

and

gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...

the hill is very much a geological exception. The hill is one of a line of volcanic

inselberg An inselberg or monadnock () is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a ...

s of which the Stolpener Burgberg, the

Wilisch Wilisch may refer to: *Wilisch (river), of Saxony, Germany *Wilisch (mountain), in Saxony, Germany {{geodis ...

and the

Geising Geising is a ''Stadtteil'' (municipal division) of Altenberg in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany.

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 In geodesy and navigation, a meridian arc is the curve between two points on the Earth's surface having the same longitude. The term may refer either to a segment of the meridian, or to its length. The purpose of measuring meridian arcs is to ...

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 Helleborine ''Cephalanthera longifolia'', the narrow-leaved helleborine, sword-leaved helleborine or long-leaved helleborine, is a rhizome, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread acr ...

, the

Large Pink ''Dianthus superbus'', the fringed pink or large pink, is a species of ''Dianthus'' native to Europe and northern Asia, from northernmost Spain and France north to arctic Norway, and east to Japan; in the south of its range, it occurs at high a ...

or the

Bristly Bellflower ''Campanula cervicaria'', the bristly bellflower, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. The plant is roughly hairy and the flowers are about long, light blue and are grouped together. Description Bristly bellfl ...

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 ''Tilia cordata'', the small-leaved lime or small-leaved linden, is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to much of Europe. Other common names include little-leaf or littleleaf linden, or traditionally in South East England, pry or p ...

Norway Maple ''Acer platanoides'', commonly known as the Norway maple, is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from Spain east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It was introduced to ...

Sycamore Maple ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, to ...

and

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

) interspersed with species like the

lungwort ''Pulmonaria'' (lungwort) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe and western Asia, with one species (''P. mollissima'') east to central Asia. According to various estimates there may be between 10 and 18 sp ...

s. In addition the sun-exposed hill is also home to several warmth-loving plants like the

Crown Vetch ''Securigera varia'' (synonym ''Coronilla varia''), commonly known as crownvetch 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 ...

and the Hoary Cinquefoil.

History

At the beginning of the 1960s in the heyday of the Cold War a small

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

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 (; hsb, Pěrno; ) is a town in Saxony, Germany and capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 37,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as ...

in the event of a

nuclear attack Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear wa ...

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 ...

. 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

to the

Lusatian Highlands The Lusatian Highlands''Upper Lusatia''
at www.silvaportal.info. Accessed on 10 July 20 ...

, * Northwest: over the Dresden Basin, * West and south: over the Elbe Valley Slate Mountains to the crest of the

Eastern Ore Mountains The Eastern Ore Mountains (german: Osterzgebirge) form a natural region of Saxony that covers the eastern part (in area almost the eastern half) of the Saxon Ore Mountains range. Together with the Western and Central Ore Mountains, it is part of ...

, * East: over the Gottleuba valley to the

table mountain Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...

s of

and the volcanic cone of the

Central Bohemian Uplands Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

. File:Cottaer Spitzberg (1) 2006-07-02.jpg, View southwards (Crest of the

) File:Cottaer Spitzberg Blick SO (1) 2006-07-02.jpg, View southeast ( Hoher Schneeberg) File:Cottaer Spitzberg Blick N (1) 2006-07-02.jpg, View north (

and Elbe Valley) File:Cottaer Spitzberg Blick W (1) 2006-07-02.jpg, View west ( Cotta and foothills of the

)

Sources

* * Peter Rölke (publ.): ''Am Rande der Sächsischen Schweiz.'' Reihe Wander- & Naturführer Sächsische Schweiz Vol. 3, Dresden, 2004.

External links

* {{commons-inline, Cottaer Spitzberg
Aussichten vom Cottaer Spitzberg
Mountains of Saxon Switzerland Natural monuments in Saxony Protected areas of Saxony Hills of Saxony