The Zschopau (; or Šopava ) is a 130-kilometre-long river in
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and a left tributary of the
Freiberger Mulde
The Freiberger Mulde (also called the ''Östliche Mulde'' or Eastern Mulde; ) is the right-hand, headstream of the river Mulde, whose catchment covers an area of in the Czech Republic and Germany in central Saxony. It has a volumetric flow of ...
. The origin of the name is not precisely documented, possibly
Slavic
Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to:
Peoples
* Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia
** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples
** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples
** West Slav ...
''skapp''; ''rock'', ''cliff'' or
sorb. ''Šučici''; ''the rushing, roaring''). The Zschopau drains a catchment area of 1847 km².
Course
Its source is in the
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...
, on the slopes of the
Fichtelberg
The Fichtelberg () is a mountain with two main peaks in the middle of the Ore Mountains in the east German state of Saxony, near the Czech border. At above sea level, the Fichtelberg is the highest mountain in Saxony, the second highest in the ...
at a height of 1,070 metres, near the border with Czechia. It flows initially parallel to the
Große Mittweida
The Große Mittweida (short also Mittweida) is a river of Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Schwarzwasser, which it joins in Schwarzenberg. Its source is on the north slope of the Fichtelberg.
See also
*List of rivers of Saxony ...
in a northerly direction. The Zschopau forms the boundary between the western forest district of
Crottendorf
Crottendorf is a municipality that is located in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany.
History
From 1952 to 1990, Crottendorf was part of the Bezirk Karl-Marx-Stadt of East Germany
East Germany, officially known as the Ger ...
and the eastern districts of
Oberwiesenthal
Oberwiesenthal (; officially Kurort Oberwiesenthal) is a town and a ski resort in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 19 km south of Annaberg-Buchho ...
and Neudorf. After leaving the forests on the Fichtelberg, it passes the
forest settlement of Crottendorf with its hamlet of Walthersdorf.
In the town of
Schlettau
Schlettau is a town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, 5 km southwest of Annaberg-Buchholz, and 12 km east of Schwarzenberg, Saxony, Schwarzenberg.
History
From 1952 to ...
it is joined by the Rote Pfütze. It then flows through the towns of
Tannenberg, Wiesa and
Wiesenbad Thermal Springs. Then the Zschopau collects the waters of the
Pöhlbach
The Pöhlbach () is a river of Saxony, Germany and of the Czech Republic. It is a right tributary of the Zschopau, which it joins near Thermalbad Wiesenbad.
References
See also
*List of rivers of Saxony
*List of rivers of the Czech Republic
...
stream. Shortly before
Wolkenstein
Wolkenstein is a town in the district Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, on the river Zschopau, 22 km southeast of Chemnitz.
The town is situated on a rocky spur near the confluence of the Zschopau ...
it is joined by the
Pressnitz.
The towns of Wolkenstein,
Zschopau
Zschopau (), is a town in the Erzgebirgskreis district of Saxony, Germany.
The town grew around the castle, which was built in the mid-12th century to protect the Salt Road, which crossed the Zschopau River here. Mining was also practiced from ...
,
Flöha
Flöha () is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. Flöha is situated on the confluence of the rivers Zschopau (river), Zschopau and Flöha (river), Flöha, east of Chemnitz.
Flöha station connects the town to Dresden, ...
,
Frankenberg/Sa. and
Mittweida
Mittweida () is a town in Saxony, Germany, in the Mittelsachsen district.
Geography
Mittweida is situated on the river Zschopau, 18 km north of Chemnitz, and 54 km west of Dresden. Embedded within the steep hills and valleys of the ri ...
are further down the river. Between
Scharfenstein and Zschopau, its largest left-hand tributary, the
Wilisch, flows into the river by the scattered settlement of Wilischthal. The tortuous, increasingly narrow and rocky Zschopau valley is followed by the structurally interesting
Annaberg and Buchholz railway to Flöha.
In Flöha, north of the
Augustusburg
Augustusburg () is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated 12 km east of Chemnitz. Augustusburg is known for its ''Jagdschloss'', the hunting lodge of the same name.
The town includes the ortsteil or to ...
hunting lodge that dominates the valley landscape, it is joined by the largest tributary, named after the town. The
Flöha
Flöha () is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. Flöha is situated on the confluence of the rivers Zschopau (river), Zschopau and Flöha (river), Flöha, east of Chemnitz.
Flöha station connects the town to Dresden, ...
is even slightly larger than the Zschopau here. The Zschopau is impounded by the Kriebstein Dam in the narrow valley above
Kriebstein Castle
Kriebstein Castle () is a castle in Kriebstein near the town of Waldheim in the German state of Saxony.
Location
The castle rises above steep crags over the River Zschopau. Within the topographical grouping of hill castles it is classifie ...
. It continues to flow through the town of
Waldheim, where it is followed by the
Chemnitz and Riesa railway, which runs over six viaducts on the six-kilometre-long 'bankruptcy mile' section to
Limmritz. The valley is narrow and steep in parts, so that the Zschopau Valley Cycleway is routed by it at a reasonable distance.
Finally, the river flows into the Freiberger Mulde near the village of Schweta west of
Döbeln
Döbeln (; , ) is a town in Saxony, Germany, part of the Mittelsachsen district. It sits on the banks of the Freiberger Mulde, Freiberger Mulde river.
Location and geography
Döbeln is situated in the Central Saxon Hills, Central Saxon Hill co ...
.
The Zschopau is 130 km long and, after combining with the Freiburge Mulde has a flow rate of 23.8 m³/s compared to 10.3 m³/s in the Freiberger Mulde above the confluence.
Trails
The river has numerous roads and paths running alongside it. These trails are especially popular with cyclists. Mountain bikers often come here for tours. The undulating trails offer a brilliant riding experience to cycling enthusiasts. The trail is also known for the scenery, with castles and other medieval buildings appearing on the trail.
See also
*
List of rivers of Saxony
A list of rivers of Saxony, Germany:
A
* Alte Luppe
B
* Bahra
* Bahre
* Batschke
* Bauerngraben
* Biela
* Black Elster
* Black Pockau
* Bobritzsch
* Borlasbach
* Brunndöbra
* Burgauenbach
C
*Chemnitz
* Colmnitzbach
* Cunnersdorfer Wasser
D
* ...
Notes
References
{{Authority control
Rivers of Saxony
Rivers of the Ore Mountains
Rivers of Germany