Králický Sněžník Mountains

For the mountain called Śnieżnik, see Králický Sněžník.

Králický Sněžník Mountains Śnieżnik Mountains
Polish: Masyw Śnieżnika Czech: Králický Sněžník
Panorama of the Králický Sněžník Mountains
Highest point
Peak	Králický Sněžník
Elevation	1,423 m (4,669 ft)
Dimensions
Area	276 km^2 (107 sq mi)
Geography
Králický Sněžník Mountains in the geomorphological system of the Czech Republic
Countries	Poland, Czech Republic
Region(s)	Lower Silesian Voivodeship Olomouc Region, Pardubice Region
Range coordinates	50°12′N 16°48′E
Parent range	Eastern Sudetes
Geology
Rock type(s)	Gneiss, schist, marble, dolomite

The Králický Sněžník Mountains or Śnieżnik Mountains (Polish: Masyw Śnieżnika, Czech: Králický Sněžník, German: Glatzer Schneegebirge) is a massif and mountain range in the Eastern Sudetes on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland.

Geomorphology

Králický Sněžník Mountains in the geomorphological system of Poland

Sněžník marble from Horní Morava

The Králický Sněžník Mountains is a mesoregion of the Eastern Sudetes within the Sudetes in the Bohemian Massif. All the highest mountains are located close to the Czech–Polish border or on the Czech side. The largest mountains are:

• Králický Sněžník, 1,423 m (4,669 ft)
• Mały Śnieżnik, 1,327 m (4,354 ft)
• Sušina, 1,321 m (4,334 ft)
• Hraniční skály, 1,320 m (4,330 ft)
• Podbělka, 1,308 m (4,291 ft)
• Černá kupa, 1,295 m (4,249 ft)
• Stříbrnická, 1,251 m (4,104 ft)
• Babuše, 1,246 m (4,088 ft)
• Uhlisko, 1,241 m (4,072 ft)
• Slamník, 1,232 m (4,042 ft)

Geography

The territory has an area of 276 square kilometres (107 sq mi), of which 200 km^2 (77 sq mi) in Poland and 76 km^2 (29 sq mi) in the Czech Republic.[1]

Three main European watersheds pass through the Králický Sněžník Mountains and they meet at Klepáč mountain (1145 m). Králický Sněžník forms an important hydrographic node, its territory belongs to three seas – the Black, North and Baltic Seas. The Morava River, which originates below the peak of Králický Sněžník, drains its waters into the Black Sea. The stream Lipkovský potok with its tributaries flows into the North Sea. The waters of the Eastern Neisse and its tributaries flow into the Baltic Sea.[1]

Due to the terrain, there are no significant settlements here.

Geology

The territory of the massif is mainly formed by metamorphosed rocks – gneiss and schist,[1] also marble.

Protection of nature

On the Polish side the mountain range is largely covered by the protected area called Śnieżnik Landscape Park. On the Czech side, an area of 17.08 km^2 (6.59 sq mi) is protected as a national nature reserve.[2]

References

1. "Králický Sněžník (Śnieżnik Kłodzki)". Králický Sněžník National Nature Reserve (in Czech). Retrieved 2023-08-28.
2. "Králický Sněžník" (in Czech). Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 2023-08-28.