Kleiner Kranichsee

The Little Kranichsee ( tschech. Malé jeřábí Jezero ) is one of the most important high moorlands in the Erzgebirge. In Saxony, the moor is since 1930 a nature reserve. The Czech part of the bog was made in 1962 to 6.02 hectares as a nature reserve under state protection.

Location

The raised bog is located at an altitude of 930 meters above sea level. NN in a clearing in the high forest southwest of Johann George Town. Due to the high moor, the boundary between Germany and the Czech Republic, which continues through the book box mountain.

Name

The name of the bog is associated with the Czech word for granica border context. Documented the Small Kranichsee the first time in 1551 was mentioned.

Importance

It is a watershed and Kromm wood raised bog is drained to the north by the Steinbach, westward through the Great Bockau, to the south by the book box trench and to the east by the Lehmer Grundbach. In a westerly direction there is the Great Kranichsee whose bog core, however, lies on the Czech side.

Vegetation

• Mountain Pine ( Pinus mugo )
• Vaginal cotton grass ( Eriophorum vaginatum )
• Crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum)
• Bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum )
• Bog rosemary ( Andromeda polifolia )

Fauna

• Adder (Vipera berus )
• Viviparous lizard ( Lacerta vivipara )

Tourism

Already at the turn of the century laid the Erzgebirgszweigverein Johanngeorgenstadt a corduroy road in the swamp and built a viewing stand, which has since been renewed several times and its location was moved to a better protection of nature about 30 years ago by several meters.