The Czech Rock
Flora and fauna
From the rocky side of the top there are beautiful but limited views of Prácheň and the surrounding countryside such as Studenec, Nový Bor, Klíč, Hochwald up to Ještěd in Liberec but the views are being slowly overgrown by plants, bushes and trees like lime-trees, oak-trees and pines. In winter bats live inside the rock. Furthermore, there live, for example, dormice, stags, deer, foxes and badgers.
History
Firstly, the Czech Rock was formerly called Slunečná located on the eastern slope.
In the 1980s there were punched two short exploratory tunnels in the Czech Rock massive. These tunnels were used to verify a stock of basalt for extraction. One of them is on the northeast edge of rock, directly under the peak and the other is about 80 metres south of the peak. In both cases it is a simple straight corridor without branching and it is a few tens of meters long. Nowadays, it is especially a winter habitat shelter for bats and both tunnels are closed by bars.
Other basalt formations
In the world there are other similar formations. Firstly, Panská skála near the Czech Rock, which is known because of the Czech fairytale called Pyšná princezna (The Proud Princess). Secondly, Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone is a well-known basalt rock. Thirdly, the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Lastly, the Paraná Traps in Brazil is a beautiful place to visit.
References
- ^ Kroča, Jan (2004). Tajemná místa severních Čech. Beroun: Nakladatelství MH. pp. 75–77. ISBN 80-86720-11-X.
- ^ Kühn, Jiří. "Lužické hory". Jiří Kühn. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
External links
- Kroča, J. (2004) “Tajemná místa severních Čech”, Beroun: Nakladatelství MH
- Kühn, J. (1997) Lužické hory http://www.luzicke-hory.cz/mista/index.php?pg=zmcskac (Accessed 17.4.2011)