Information & Pictures about Liberec - Ještěd

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On the Ještěd Ridge
Liberec's southwestern horizon is lined with a belt of mountains known as Ještěd Ridge, although the town itself is overlooked by a one thousand or so meter-high peak, the area's distinctive dominant feature, which has earned the town the nickname of "the town below Ještěd". Experts on geomorphology have called this chain of peaks a ridge, yet in fact it has the character of an independent mountain range, as indicated by its German name - Jeschkengebirge (The Ještěd Mountains). From time immemorial the Ještěd peaks have formed the specific border between demesnes, as well as an imaginary ethnic, linguistic, cultural and economic border between the predominantly German population in the industrial north and the Czech population living on its southern slopes, earning their living predominantly through agriculture. Moreover, one section of the ridge marks the meeting point of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Although Ještěd Ridge can neither compete with the neighboring The Jizera Mountains in terms of size nor boast the Nordic beauty of the latter's peat bogs, it is a surprisingly interesting and varied area in its own right - especially from the geological point of view - insomuch as it is composed of a variety of minerals concentrated in a relatively small area. The major part of the ridge is formed by the so-called Ještěd crystalline complex, a formation which originated in the early Paleozoic age, hundreds of millions of years ago. In the past a number of these minerals were mined to be used for a variety of purposes, for example, pyrite for roof slates, quartzite porphyry, and melaphyre, a construction material in the building industry. However, Limestone and dolomite were the main raw materials extracted there, as a number of now abandoned quarries in the mountains testify. A host of small stalactite caves were discovered during the extraction of these minerals, such as Západní jeskyně (West Cave) in Velký Vápenný, Hanzchova jeskyně (Hanych Cave) in Panský lom (Lord's Quarry), Velká a Malá Basa (Large and Small Bass) near Padouchov. Difficult to reach and inhabitant only by various species of bat, these caves are usually closed to the public. The most distinctive feature of the higher section of Ještěd Ridge is, however, the presence of quartzite, a mineral extremely resistant to disintegration.

It is quartzite from which Ještěd Peak itself is formed, which explains why it stands out so obviously from the other hills. The distinctive, whitish rock formations such as Vířivé kamenz (Whirling Stones), Dánské kameny (Danish Stones), Důlní kameny (Mining Stones), Červené kameny (Red Stones) and Krejčík (Little Tailor), scattered in independent groups across the area, are made from the same mineral. Another remarkable local feature in both natural scientific and historical terms was the extraction of poly metallic ores, particularly silver, lead and copper, in the area of Panenské Hůrky, Andělská Hora and Kryštofovo Udolí in the late Middle Ages and the early stages of the local mines were destroyed in the past, some of them serve as winter habitats for bats. Four protected areas, the largest of them being the Karlovarské bučiny National  Reserve covering an area of 42 square kilometers, were so designated with the aim of protecting the living nature in the area of Ještěd Ridge. The local beech and mixed forest grow on limestone, hence their unusual wealth of flora, making them a popular destination for springtime hiking tours, The other three nature reserves - Velký Vápenný (Large Limestone Park), Dlouhá hora (Long Mountain) and Hamrštejn - were endowed with similar features. In May 1995 the Liberec District Council declared practically the entire area (9.360 hectares) of Ještěd Ridge a natural park, Approximately 67 per cent of the park is covered by forest, a quarter of which is firmed by beech trees, with the remainder carpeted in the main with secondary spruce trees. The forest expanded after 1945, when the sections deforested in previous periods and turned into small mountain fields, meadows and pastures, by then left neglected, once again made way for trees. Ještěd Ridge is a popular destination for sports enthusiasts from Liberec - hikers in summer and skiers in winter - although Ještěd Peak and its environs, offering one of the most magnificent views in Bohemia, remain the greatest attraction. The peak is easily accessible to visitors, for it has been connected to the Horní Hanychov district of Liberec by a funicular railway (the second oldest in Bohemia) since 1933. The funicular makes a journey of 1,180 meters up the mountainside, climbing a difference of elevation of 400 meters. The mountain's steep northern slopes, containing a plethora of downhill and slalom routes of various degrees of difficulty and equipped with ski lifts, have been a haven for fans of downhill skiing. Moreover, its ski jumps have made Ještěd a venue for many international ski competitions. For the past 150 years visitors to Ještěd have also had the opportunity to pause and regain their strength there, first in a mountain shack erected in 1847, then in the so-called Rohan Chalet, and still later, from 1907 to 1963, in an old mountain hotel, replaced in 1973 by a new facility, a fabulous example of modern architecture. Looking down at Liberec, located deep beneath Ještěd Peak in the valley of the river Nisa, visitors will certainly agree that this community is rightly called "the town below Ještěd".

Miloslav Nevrlý