The Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge (; cs, Ještědsko-kozákovský hřbet) is a

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

and geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is part of the Western Sudetes. The vast majority lies in the

Liberec Region Liberec Region ( cs, Liberecký kraj, german: Reichenberger Region, pl, Kraj liberecki) is an administrative unit ( Czech: ''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located in the northernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named after ...

Geomorphology

Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge is a mesoregion of the Western Sudetes, which is part of the

Sudetes The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...

within the

Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( cs, Česká vysočina or ''Český masiv'', german: Böhmische Masse or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Ger ...

. It is a distinctive horst and

anticline In structural geology, an anticline is a type of fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex up in which the hinge or crest is the ...

ridge. It is further subdivided into the microregions of Ještěd Ridge and Kozákov Ridge. Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge is named after the two highest and most dominant mountains of its two parts, Ještěd in the northwest part and Kozákov in the southeast.

Ještěd Ještěd (; german: Jeschken) is the highest mountain of the Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge in the north of the Czech Republic, at . It is the symbol of the city of Liberec. On the summit is the Ještěd Tower restaurant, hotel and television tower ...

is the highest peak of the ridge and the only peak above 1,000 m. The highest peaks of the ridge are: *Ještěd, *Černý vrch, *Hlubocký hřeben, *Černá hora, *Vápenný, *Rozsocha, *Malý Ještěd, *Dlouhá hora, *Kozákov,

Geography

The ridge has a narrow elongated shape that extends from northwest to southeast. It is about long, and the width does not exceed . The average altitude is 518.5 m. In the northwest it starts with the hill Ostrý vrch (511 m). The elevation of the hills gradually increases above 800 metres and culminates with Ještěd. The ridge is intersected by the deep valleys of the Mohelka and Jizera rivers. The largest settlements that extend into the ridge are Liberec, Semily, Chrastava and Lomnice nad Popelkou.

Nature

The range mostly consists of various

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...

s, though some parts are formed from

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 ...

. Almost the entire Ještěd Ridge is covered by forest up to the valley of Mohelka. The other part is a mosaic consisting of forests, meadows and fields. Most notable are

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...

forests, often protected as nature reserves. The central part of the ridge (including the Kozákov mountain) intersects the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area. The northernmost tip of the ridge with the Ostrý vrch hill is protected as a part of the

Lusatian Mountains The Lusatian Mountains ( cs, Lužické hory; german: Lausitzer Gebirge; pl, Góry Łużyckie) are a mountain range of the Western Sudetes on the southeastern border of Germany with the Czech Republic. They are a continuation of the Ore Mountain ...

Protected Landscape Area. In addition to several small-scale protected areas, the Ještěd and Maloskalsko nature parks have been created.

Tourism

The terrain is suitable for hiking and cycling. Winter sports are limited by there being only intermittent snow. The most popular area for both downhill and cross-country skiing is centered on Ještěd.

Gallery

Ještěd a Jelínka z Hlavice.jpg, Ještěd and Černý vrch Ještědka a Černý vrch, z Ještědu.jpg, View from Ještěd towards Černý vrch and Hlubocký hřeben Kozakov pohled z klokocskeho pruchodu.jpg, View towards Kozákov Malá Skála, Jizera River.jpg, Jizera River in Malá Skála

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jested-Kozakov Ridge Sudetes Ridges of Europe Mountain ranges of the Czech Republic