Erzgebirge

The Erzgebirge, or Ore Mountains, is a low mountain range running along the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. The range extends roughly 150 kilometers in a southwest–northeast direction, forming a natural boundary between Saxony in Germany and Bohemia in the Czech Republic. The highest points are Klínovec on the Czech side at 1,244 meters and Fichtelberg on the German side at 1,215 meters.

Geology and mining have long shaped the region. The mountains' rocks reflect the Variscan orogeny, and they host extensive ore deposits that were exploited for silver, tin, and other metals since the Middle Ages. Mining towns such as Freiberg, Marienberg, and Annaberg-Buchholz grew around ore extraction and processing. The discovery of silver in Joachimsthal (today Jáchymov) gave rise to the taler, the namesake of the word dollar. The area continues to preserve a rich mining heritage, including mining museums and historic quarrying sites, and hosts the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology.

Cultural significance and UNESCO status are notable aspects of the Erzgebirge. The western part of the range is famous for traditional Christmas crafts, woodcarving, nutcrackers, and pyramids produced in places like Seiffen. In 2019, the transboundary Ore Mountain Mining Region was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape spanning Germany and the Czech Republic, recognizing its historic mining-driven culture and landscape.

Tourism and economy today emphasize cross-border cooperation, winter sports around the Fichtelberg, hiking, museums, and the continuation of crafts and traditional crafts-related industries.