Euroregion Elbe/Labe

Panská skála

Impressive basalt rock formation

The Panská skála (Manor House Rock) is the remnant of a small basaltan hill (597 m) that protrudes from the plateau between Kamenický Šenov and Prácheň (Parchen). Its name was created by translation of the German name "Herrhausfelsen", which is a parody of the original "Gehörnhausberg". The term "Gehörn" was used in this area to describe steeply rising rock formations.

History

In former times there was a bare hill about 30 m high with three crosses on the top, which was called Kreuzberg. Even before the end of the 18th century, a farmer from Prácheň broke out basalt columns here, which were used for door and window frames, columns, bouncing stones, curbstones, etc. This quarry gradually revealed the interesting interior of the hill, consisting of slender columns. The regularly developed, slender, four to six-sided columns are up to 15 m long and their diameter is 20 - 25 cm. In the middle of the hill they are almost vertical, towards the circumference of the hill they gradually incline towards the centre; because they are arranged like organ pipes in terms of their height, the rock is popularly called Varhany (organ).

In 1902, an "Association for the Rescue of the Manor Rock" was founded in Děčín, which tried to raise the money necessary for the purchase of the rock through collections, lotteries, balls, sale of souvenirs with the image of the rock, etc. In 1904, by means of a lease agreement, it was finally possible to stop breaking the columns on the summit and to restrict the breaking of the columns only to the apron of the rock face, where the water surface was later created. After some back and forth, in 1913 the owners were strictly forbidden to break the rock by the k.k. Bezirkshauptmannschaft Tetschen and in 1914 the rock was purchased by the Böhm.

Today, the manor house rock has the status of a national natural monument and represents the most visited geological formation in Bohemia, which is also well known to geologists abroad. A lesser known, but more magnificent quarry wall consisting of basalt columns, which is also protected, is located on the nearby Zlatý vrch (Gold Mountain).

View

From the top of the Panská skála hill a beautiful view of the near and far surroundings opens up. To the west, above Kamenický Šenov, rises the elongated Smrčník (Forestry Hill), to the right of which is Česká Kamenice with Zámecký vrch (Castle Hill) in front of the wooded mountains of Bohemian Switzerland with the dominant of Růžovský vrch (Rosenberg) in the background. On the northern side there is Šenovský vrch (Steinschönau Hill), behind it the Ovčácký vrch (Shepherd's Hill) and even further back the horizon is closed by the ridge of the Lusatian Mountains with Studenec (Cold Mountain), Chřibský vrch (Himpel Mountain), Javor (Great Ahren Mountain) and Jedlová (Fir Mountain). To the east of Panská skála lies the village Prácheň (Parchen) with the wooded hill Vyhlídka (Cold Mountain), to the northeast of the village is the ridge of Obrázek (Picture Stone) with Klučky (Klutschken), and behind it rises the pointed Klíč (Kleis) and to the right behind it the Zelený vrch (Green Mountain) and Jezevčí vrch (Limberg). To the south-east the view opens over Nový Bor (Haida) to Chotovický vrch (Kottowice Hill), Slavíček (Slabitschken) and Tisový vrch (Yew Hill) and to Ralsko (Roll) in the background. To the south, the view is obscured by the wooded slopes of Kameník and the rock Česká skála.

Marian column

At the south-eastern foot of the Panská skála hill stands a Marian column erected in memory of a young journeyman and a widow who froze to death here during the stormy night of 18 January 1739. Its exact age is not known, but it was probably erected in 1739; however, if one believes the popular tradition which says that the village judge of Prácheň (Parchen) Christian Palme had the column erected, this had to be done after 1773. Later, in 1838, Christian's son Sebastian had the column renovated, another repair was done in August 1924, and in January 2001 the column was overturned by unknown vandals and broke into several pieces, fortunately it was repaired, so that since summer 2002 it stands again in its original beauty on its old place. It used to be surrounded by a group of six lime trees, of which only one remains today, but in 2006 three new trees were planted here.

(source: www.luzicke-hory.cz)

Address

Prácheň 213
471 14 Kamenický Šenov

Arrival

The nearest bus stop "Kamenický Šenov, Prácheň, prodejna" directions_railway directions_bus is about 600 m away.

From the railway station in Kamenický Šenov directions_railway directions_bus it's a 2.7 km walk across the village to the rock.

There is a large parking lot just below the hill.

 

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