Jizera Mountains

Coordinates: 50°50′N 15°15′E / 50.833°N 15.250°E / 50.833; 15.250
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jizera Mountains
Jizerské hory (cz), Góry Izerskie (pl)
View over Liberec to the Jizera Mountains from Mt. Ještěd
Highest point
PeakWysoka Kopa
Elevation1,127 m (3,698 ft)
Coordinates50°51′1″N 15°25′12″E / 50.85028°N 15.42000°E / 50.85028; 15.42000
Geography
CountriesCzech Republic and Poland
StatesBohemia and Lower Silesia
Range coordinates50°50′N 15°15′E / 50.833°N 15.250°E / 50.833; 15.250
Parent rangeWestern Sudetes
Geology
Type of rockGranite and Basalt

Jizera Mountains (

Smrk massif. The beech forests within the Jizera Mountains were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, because of their outstanding preservation and testimony to the ecological history of Europe (and the beech family specifically) since the Last Glacial Period.[1]

Geography

Sněžné věžičky (Czech "snow turret"): picturesque rock pinnacle in the Jizerské hory

The range stretches from the

Krkonoše in the southeast. The Jizera Mountains comprise the sources of the Jizera river, as well as of the Kwisa and the Lusatian Neisse
.

The major part in the south is formed from granite, in the northern part from gneisses and mica schists, with some areas formed from basalt.

The weather conditions are characterized by above-average annual

Nová Louka
recorded a daily precipitation amounting to 345.1 mm (13.6 inches), still an unbroken European record.

Peaks

Dense forests on the Smrk summit around 1900
Forest dieback on top of the Smrk in 2003

The highest peak is Wysoka Kopa (1,127 m, 3,698 feet) near the town of Szklarska Poręba in Poland. Neverteheless, a better-known mountain is Smrk (1124 m, 3,688 feet), with a recently rebuilt look-out tower. Other peaks include Jizera (1,122 m, 3,681 feet) and Stóg Izerski (Heufuder, 1,107 m, 3,632). The peaks in order of elevation:

History

Quartz mine "Stanisław"

The first settlements in the area date back to

primeval forests. Permanent settlements were established. In the 16th century, several glass works were founded. Glassmaking had a profound effect on the ecosystem. The primeval forest was gradually replaced by fast-growing spruce
monoculture. Other important industries included tin-mining, metallurgy and textile. The
Schaffgotsch from Schreiberhau (Szklarska Poręba), Lower Silesia
.

Following the defeat of

expelled in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement and replaced by Poles on the Polish and Czechs on the Czechoslovakian side of the mountains. The ecosystem was badly hit by emissions, produced by lignite fired power stations located in the Zittau basin, part of Europe's ecological Black Triangle. Weakened spruce forest, less resistant against various types of parasites
, were on the verge of extinction. The higher parts of the mountains, once densely wooded, became largely treeless, in part also because of excessive deforestation. New roads cut through the once-secluded landscape.

The situation improved only after the fall of communism in 1989. Open-pit coal mines in the former East Germany were closed, as well as several major power plants. Emission filters were installed at the immense Turów Power Station in Bogatynia on the Polish side of Lusatian Neisse. At the same time large-scale reforestation projects were started.

Tourism

Rozdroże pod Cichą Równią - Jizera Mountains
Mountain hut Chatka Górzystów in Polish part of Jizera Mountains

The Jizera Mountains are an attractive location for winter sports, cycling and hiking. The centre for both downhill skiing and ski run is Bedřichov. The international cross-country races Jizerská 50 and Bieg Piastów (in Polana Jakuszycka) take place there. Its summer MTB counterpart is also gaining popularity.

The towns surrounding the mountains include

Świeradów Zdrój, Szklarska Poręba, Desná, Tanvald and Jablonec nad Nisou
.

Protections

Large parts of the Jizera Mountains are under some form of protection. In the smaller Polish parts, the

Jizera Dark Sky Park (Rašeliniště Jizery),[5]
dedicated to star watching.

Culture

A museum in the quarter Neugablonz of the Bavarian town Kaufbeuren is devoted to the German history of the region.[6]

Literature

  • (in Czech, German, and English) Weiss, Siegfried (2000) Moje Jizerky - Jizerské hory v proměnách času, Mein Isergebirge - Das Isergebirge im Wandel der Zeit, My Jizera Hills - The Jizera Mountains through a changing of time, Buk
  • (in Czech) Nevrlý, Miroslav (1996) Kniha o Jizerských horách, 3rd edition, Civitas

References

  1. ^ "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  2. ISBN 83-7023-560-3
    .
  3. ^ "Rezerwat TORFOWISKA DOLINY IZERY" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Správa CHKO Jizerské hory" [Administration of the Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area] (in Czech). Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Rašeliniště Jizery - Frýdlantsko, Jizerské hory" [Jizera peat bog - Frydlant Region, Jizera Mountains] (in Czech). Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  6. ^ https://www.isergebirgs-museum.de/

External links

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Jizera Mountains (category)
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