The Krušné Hory Mts.—The Longest Mountain Range of the Czech Republic

Abstract

Located in the borderland between the NW part of the Czech Republic and Saxony, the Krusne hory Mts. (highest peak Klinovec, 1244 m a.s.l.) represents the longest mountain range in the Czech Republic. Its current geomorphologic character with a steep SE fault scarp and extensive planation surfaces at the top has been influenced by long-term tectonic activity, which has uplifted the original denudational surface underlain by Paleozoic magmatic and metamorphic rocks. The neotectonic uplift has taken place since the Neogene and has resulted in vertical exaggeration of the mountain range above the neighbouring basins reaching more than 500 m. It is mainly the SE fault scarp of the mountain range with its extreme gradient, which is frequently affected by flash floods and different kinds of mass movement . The natural environment has been fundamentally reshaped during hundreds of years of human activity. First, this activity was focused on mining of rich mineral deposits (silver, tin, lead, copper and other ores). Subsequently, the inhabitants of the mountain range changed their focus to manufacturing and agriculture, which is illustrated by technical monuments and agricultural landforms. The extraordinary interrelations between natural conditions and cultural heritage are currently the main argument behind the proposal to enlist the Krusne hory Mts. among the World Heritage sites.