Mountain Děčínský Sněžník, Czech Republic

The Děčínský Sněžník, also known as the High Snow Mountain, is the highest peak in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains at 723 meters. It is located in the Ústecký kraj region in northern Bohemia, near the town of Děčín. It is a striking table mountain in Bohemian Switzerland.

There is a historic lookout tower on the summit, which was built in 1864 and is one of the oldest lookout towers in the Czech Republic. The stone tower is 33 meters high and was originally used for land surveying. From the viewing platform and other parts of the summit, visitors can enjoy sweeping views of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, Bohemian Switzerland and, on a clear day, other mountain ranges.

There is a kiosk with a snack bar and a rest area for hikers nearby. The summit plateau measures around 1.6 kilometers in length and 0.6 kilometers in width. Surrounded by dense forests and with steep sandstone flanks, the Hoher Schneeberg offers numerous hiking trails and routes that lead to the summit from both the Czech and German sides.

A place of inspiration for Caspar David Friedrich
Sketched back in August 1806, the Hoher Schneeberg with its characteristic, elongated peak appears again and again in paintings and drawings by Caspar David Friedrich. Friedrich used the Hoher Schneeberg with its peculiar coffin-like shape as a motif several times:
Woman in front of the setting sun, oil, around 1818
Elbe valley landscape, oil, around 1820
Coffin at the grave, pencil, around 1836
Coffin at the grave, sepia, around 1836

Hiking tips:
From Rosenthal over the Grenzplatte to the Hoher Schneeberg
From Bad Schandau to the Hoher Schneeberg