Mount Ślęża
The Ślęża Mountain
Ślęża or Sobotka ( German Ślęża Mountain, also briefly Zobten, rare Siling, in dialect Zotabarg by Paul Keller ) is a mountain in south-western Poland. He is the highest peak of the massif Zobten. The second main peak is the 573 m high Radunia ( Vulture's Peak ). Both separates the headwaters of the creek Sulistrowicki ( Silstrowitzer Bach).
This is uplifting from the Lower Silesian plain mountain massif is located 35 km southwest of Breslau between the valleys of Ślęza and Bystrzyca Świdnicka ( Schweidnitzer Weistritza ) and is considered one of the landmarks of Silesia. The Zobten massif in north-south direction is about 10 km long and in east-west direction between Sady and Bedkowice about six miles wide. On its northeast flank of the city lies Sobotka ( Zobten the mountains).
Geology
The Zobten massif consists almost entirely of dark gray colored Zobten - gabbro, a rock with granite-like properties. The olivinfreie gabbro consists mainly of plagioclase and hornblende together, and ancillary (less than 1 percent ) occur titanium magnetite and apatite. The Gabbrovorkommen is very rugged and weathered wool baggy and this has spawned partly bizarre block and rock sculptures. The gabbro from Zobten is a resistant and weathering resistant rocks and found mainly as gravel use.
Occur sporadically subordinated to also transition Crystals and serpentinites in the clefts of the Zobten.
Flora and vegetation
The potential natural vegetation of the Zobten massif are montane forest fescue - beech forests ( Festuco altissimae Fagetum ). Another species of the Central European mountain regions occur in the herb layer of these forests Hasenlattich ( Prenanthes purpurea), mountain yellow archangel ( Lamium montanum ) and Quirlblättrige 's seal ( Polygonatum verticillatum ) on. Spreads are also scree forests that are almost entirely made of sycamore, but also from elm. On Zobtengipfel consist larger scree slopes, which are colonized by lichens and mosses. In places, a sparse rowan pioneer forest grew up there. The information disseminated Zobten solid spruce comes there as well as the European larch inherently not before and was introduced as a fast-growing timber supplier to forestry. South of Sulistrowiczki swamps have formed in which fen areas and wetlands have been preserved. There are the rare moisture and wetness pointer marsh gladiolus ( Gladiolus palustris), globe flower (Trollius europaeus), Marsh Orchid ( Dactylorhiza majalis ) and superb carnation (Dianthus superbus ) ago. The Zobten Serpentine has spawned its own flora for which the Keilblättrige serpentine Spleenwort ( Asplenium cuneifolium ) is characteristic.
Conservation
The massif and its immediate surroundings are protected as a conservation area. The peak regions of Zobten and Radunia and the Marshes at Sulistrowiczki are nature reserves. The nature reserve " Zobten Summit " was founded in 1954 and is 141.4 hectares.
History
On the summit of the mountain there was a prehistoric place of worship, which probably originated in the Bronze Age. Here conjectured the grove of the Germanic gods pair Alcis, Tacitus around 98 AD. mentions in his work Germania. It is also believed that the Zobten is that mountain, from the already Thietmar of Merseburg had reported as a former pagan shrine, from which the name of the district Slensane is deduced. The mountain is preserved as mons silecii from the year 1148. It remains unclear whether the name of the mountain derives from the root of the Silinger or of the Slensanen.
In the middle of the 13th century was on the summit Slenz a castle that has been razed after 1296 as a robber's den. A 1350 built in its place small fortress was destroyed in 1471 for the same reason by the city of Wroclaw.
The mountain, which was previously owned by the Duchy of Schweidnitz in half and sand the pin Wroclaw, went over the whole of 1494 in the possession of the congregation, which was built on a pilgrimage chapel. Between 1698 and 1702 the chapel of the Visitation was renewed. 1834 destroyed a lightning strike the building. For the reconstruction in the years 1851 and 1852 it fell back on the plans of the architect Gericke, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel was not taken into account here. It was the "holy mountain of Silesia ," the Zobten, on which there were Celtic and Germanic places of worship since the 5th century, proposed as the site of Blücher monument. Schadow had this made a design that could not be realized. In 1949, a renewed lightning strike caused severe damage to the chapel again.
On the mountain there is a radio tower and a mountain cottage. Around the mountain top are enigmatic pagan stone sculptures: Virgo with the fish, bear and boar, which bear the characteristic symbol of the sun cult, the swastika.
Tourism
The Zobten is a highly frequented hiking mountain. The forester's house Tapadla in the west of the massif and the city's train station Sobotka are starting points for Zobtenbesteigungen. In Sobotka is also the Zobtenmuseum. Sulistrowiczki and Sulistrowice are holiday resorts with summer cottages on the southeast slope of the Zobtenbergs. Nearby there is also a ski tow with a short downhill skiing. Otherwise, it is offered in good snow conditions in winter cross-country skiing yet. Another drag lift is located in Sobotka.
Mining
South of the Radunia serpentine and chromite ore was mined. Remnants of the old mines have remained there under forest. West of Sobotka granite is a large area broken for days. The Zobten Granite is used as a building block, paving stone and gravel as a road.
Transmitter
On the Ślęża is since 1958 a transmission system of the Polish Radio for FM and TV which has a 136 -meter-high free-standing (with optional Cable-stayed top ) steel lattice tower used as antenna support. This broadcasting tower was built in 1972 as a replacement for the 1958 -built 98 -meter-high radio tower.