• Mittelsachsen
  • Central Saxony
  • Mittelsachsen

Central Saxony

Total size: 2,112 km²

Area of the nature park: 170 km²

Municipalities within the nature park:
Partially within the nature park: Dorfchemnitz, Frauenstein, Lichtenberg, Mulda, Rechenberg-Bienenmühle, Neuhausen, Sayda

Natural region: Eastern Erzgebirge

Geology: Primarily paragneiss, small areas of orthogneiss, phyllite, mica schist, granite

Relief:
Ridge height: 750–800 m
Highest elevation: Kohlberg (837.1 m)

Terrain: Plateaus, few valleys

Soil type: Brown earths; small areas of brown podzolic soils; meadow gleysols along the Freiberg Mulde

Climate: Continentally influenced; precipitation rarely > 1,000 mm/year
Forest climate zones: Primarily mid-mountain elevations with humid climates; higher mountain elevations with humid climates close to the Czech border

Water:
Groundwater: Erzgebirge bedrock aquifer
Watercourses: Water catchment area of the Freiberg Mulde
Important watercourses: Freiberg Mulde, Flöha
Special feature: Man-made ditch
Standing water bodies:
Natural standing water bodies: Few
Artificial standing water bodies: Rauschenbach and Lichtenberg reservoirs; small number of artificial bodies of water such as fish ponds, fire ponds, lakes formerly used for log driving, etc.

Settlement history: The area was reclaimed for farming around 1200 (first phase of forest clearing). The castles of Frauenstein (under the Margrave of Meißen), Sayda and Purschenstein (under the King of Bohemia) were built to establish territorial claims. Due to the small amounts of silver ore discovered in gneiss areas in the course of medieval mining, the second period of forest clearing was limited. Only a small number of towns were founded. In the 17th century Bohemian religious exiles settled in the area, and a number of towns – such as Neuwernsdorf – were founded. The population decreased in parts from the 19th century due to the declining mining industry and limited industrialisation

Settlement types: Primarily forest villages; a very limited number of small urban settlements
Agricultural land use: Forest farmsteads, some land parcelling

Regionally important biotopes: None

Regionally important plant species: Monkshood (Aconitum variegatum), Fumaria rostellata, greater yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius)

Regionally important animal species: Black stork (Ciconia nigra), black grouse (Tetrao tetrix)

Conservation areas (NSG/LSG) protected under the Saxon Nature Conservation Act (SächsNatSchG): NSG Trostgrund, LSG Osterzgebirge

NATURA 2000 Fauna-Flora Habitats (FFH) and Special Protection Areas (SPA): FFH Gimmlitztal (partial), SPA Erzgebirgskamm bei Deutscheinsiedel (partial)