Zirkelstein

View from the Imperial Crown südsüdostwärts to Zirkelstein

The Zirkelstein at Schoena in the Saxon county Saxon Switzerland & Eastern Ore Mountains is a 384.5 m above sea level. NHN high elevation in the Saxon Switzerland and the smallest of Table Mountain. Despite the small size and limited extent due to the characteristic shape of the most striking rock formations of the Elbe sandstone he represents

Geographical location

The Zirkelstein rises 6.4 km (air line ) southeast of Bad Schandau, in linkselbischen part of Saxon Switzerland. Immediately northwest of the mountain in the district Schoena is the German community Reinhardt -Schöna and slightly east is located in the Elbe valley, the Czech community Hřensko ( Herrnskretschen ).

History

The first mention of the mountain was made in 1592 as Circkelstein in the conducted by Matthias Oeder first Saxon land survey. The name is derived from the distinctive shape, which resembles a circle.

One of the earliest known images of the circular stone comes from Caspar David Friedrich, who represented the mountain in the background of his 1818 painting created Wanderer above the Sea of ​​Fog. The Cartographer Otto von Odeleben who created 1823-1826 a card of the Saxonian Switzerland, stayed in 1826 as one of the first visitors to the at that time still without access Table Mountain.

In 1842, the summit by the then owner of the circle stone, Johann Gottlob Füssel from Schoena was made ​​accessible with a riser system for visitors. He built the same year, a small mountain economy at the summit of Table Mountain. Within the family, the mountain economy has led to 1913 and then leased. On 3 September 1926, the mountain economy was set in a severe thunderstorm caused by lightning on fire and burned completely. Currently, the mountain with a 7 -hectare estate owned by the Zirkelstein Resort GmbH.

At the foot of the mountain a former Friends of Nature House stands with restaurants and small bungalow village, which is in private hands since 2008.

Geology

The approximately 42 -meter-high rocky outcrop of stone circle consists of sandstones of step d, which are classified in the geological time scale in the Coniacian stage of the Cretaceous. The dome rests on a passed with forest Schutthalde step c from the upper Turonian. In recent publications, these sandstones are also referred to as Schrammstein layers.

Compared to the other table mountains of Saxon Switzerland, the erosion of the stone circle is already well advanced, the cliff top has a small circumference.

View

From the top of the stone circle offers due to the isolated location, a panoramic views. The view extends

• In the east: over the Elbe to the incision of the Kamnitztales to the forests of the Bohemian Switzerland with the Růžovský vrch (Rosenberg ) towards the Lusatian Mountains with the Studenec ( Cold Mountain ),
• In the north: on the Elbe on the chain of Schrammsteine ​​and the Great Winterberg,
• In the west: on the mesas of linkselbischen Saxon Switzerland,
• To the southwest: the two Zschirnsteine ​​.

Way to the summit

The Zirkelstein is best reached by Schoena along a yellow trail that leads over to his foot. The summit itself is mountable by stairs and ladders. To the north of the mountain of Malerweg runs the main trail of the Saxon Switzerland Schoena of the Elbe valley to Schmilka.

Gallery

View from Wolfsberg from

View from Zirkelstein towards the Czech Republic, left the Rosenberg

View from the stone circle on the front panel mountains of Saxon Switzerland