Decinsky Sneznik

Decinsky Sneznik is a table mountain: a flat plateau of Cretaceous sandstone at 723 metres standing above the surrounding country with steep sides, the highest such formation in the Elbe sandstone highlands and visible from a long way in Saxony and northern Bohemia. On the top is a stone lookout tower built in 1864 by Count Thun, thirty-three metres high, which is the oldest stone lookout tower in the Bohemian lands still standing and open, reached by a spiral stair, with a view over the Elbe canyon, Bohemian Switzerland, the Ore Mountains and, in clear weather, deep into Saxony. The plateau top carries pine and heath on thin acid soil, and the edges have rock outcrops and viewpoints. The village of Sneznik below is small. It is reached on marked trails, and the walk up through the beech woods is the better approach.

What you actually see

• A sandstone table mountain - a flat plateau at 723 metres with steep sides.
• A stone tower of 1864 - the oldest of its kind still standing in Bohemia.
• A long view - the Elbe canyon, Bohemian Switzerland and into Saxony.
• Heath on the plateau - pine and thin acid soil on the flat top.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The tower is seasonal and closes in bad weather. The view depends entirely on visibility, and haze is common. The village has almost no services. The walk up is steady but not short.

Nearby

Tisa rocks are west; Decin and the Elbe canyon are north-east.