Železná hůrka
You can also meet the legendary volcano in our territory. One of them is located near the border with Germany, near the village of Mýtina in the Cheb region. It was declared a national natural monument in 1961, but was known several centuries earlier. The rest of the volcano from the turn of the Tertiary and Quaternary are protected here. The place was already known to the German playwright, poet, mineralogist and politician J. W. Goethe, who is also mentioned as its discoverer. After the Komorní hůrka volcano, it should be the second youngest volcano in our country. The volcano is located at an altitude of up to 600 m, the natural monument has an area of 3.5 hectares.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Železná hůrka
A very young volcano
Železná hůrka volcano is described as one of the youngest volcanoes, its age is estimated at 500,000 years. It has experienced at least two eruptions in a row. In the middle of the protected area there is a well visible quarry with preserved walls, where it is possible to observe the geological profile of the volcano - fragments of individual rocks and layers of volcanic ash. This profile was discovered during mining. The rest of the flue is visible on the hillside.
Plants and animals are also protected
The plant composition is strongly influenced by the management in the area. Birches and maples predominate among the woody plants here. A significant plant of the whole area is the moonwort. You can also see spring primrose, alpine boxwood (strictly protected) or spring cinchona. From the animals you can meet lizards and reptiles - the common lizard, the viviparous and the common viper.
Volcanoes in the Czech Republic
Traces of volcanic activity in our country can be found in the form of volcanic rocks that come from the ancient and Proterozoic. Such rocks are found, for example, in the Jeseníky Mountains or in central and western Bohemia. Not many younger volcanoes have been preserved, so Železná hůrka is a rare monument, which hides like an inconspicuous hill in the hillside. There is no marked path, so it is not as attractive for tourists as Komorní hůrka, but you will find a beautiful landscape and a unique formation, without having to move in a crowd of visitors.
Author: Helena Syslová