Violet stone

Violet stone Violet tip
	Summit rocks of the violet stone
height	1472 m nm
location	Poland / Czech Republic border
Mountains	Giant Mountains
Coordinates	50 ° 46 '50 " N , 15 ° 32' 44" E Coordinates: 50 ° 46 '50 " N , 15 ° 32' 44" E
rock	granite

The Violet Stone ( Polish Łabski Szczyt , Czech Violík or Labský štít ) is a 1472 m high mountain on the western part of the main ridge of the Giant Mountains . It is located on the Czech-Polish border, between the frost carrier (Polish Szrenica , Czech Jínonoš ) in the west and the Karkesseln of the snow pits (Polish Śnieżne Kotły ) on the Hohen Rad (Polish Wielki Szyszak , Czech Vysoké Kolo ) in the east .

Nearby peaks

		Ostroga (Bärlöcher)
Szrenica (hoop bearer)		Vysoká pláň (table stone slab)
Lysá hora (Kahleberg)	Gold height	Medvědín (Key Hill )

features

The actual summit is formed by a rock formation of up to ten meters high granite rocks and lies entirely on the Polish side. It could easily be climbed from the west, but this is not allowed due to the current nature conservation regulations. The Polish or Czech name (German: Elbspitze ) refers to the headwaters of the Elbe . This is located on the plateau with the Polish name Łabska Łąka (Czech: Labská louka , German Elbe meadow ) at a distance of less than a kilometer southwest of the summit.

The German name may be related to the violet moss (Trentepohlia iolithus). This green alga, which belongs to the Trentepohliaceae family and which grows on the rocks when the air humidity is constantly high (aerophytic), spreads a scent reminiscent of violets when it becomes damp.

Flora, fauna and nature conservation

The Veilchenstein lies in the area of national parks. In Poland in the Karkonoski Park Narodowy (KPN) and in the Czech Republic in the Krkonošský národní park (KRNAP), which have been part of the list of UNESCO biosphere reserves since 1992 .

The flora corresponds to the subalpine vegetation level with lichens, grasses and mountain pines as the predominant plants. The summit is forest-free, on the slopes there are seas of rocks , which are broken by grass and mountain pines . A characteristic plant here is the map lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum) which covers the rocks with a bright yellow-green crust.

The exposed location and the associated climatic conditions only allow herbivorous bugs, spiders and wood-dwelling beetles to stay here for a long time, because only they can find adequate protection from wind and weather. The insects, however, are food for various bird species such as B. alpenbrown , mountain pipit or redstart .

tourism

The mountain is of Szklarska Poreba ( Schreiberhau accessible) over a number of hiking trails. The Kammweg ( path of Polish-Czech friendship ) runs right along the summit . On the northern slope, on the Polish side, at an altitude of 1168 m on the edge of the Labské jámy basin (German: Elbkessel), the Schronisko PTTK "Pod Łabskim Szczytem" ( Old Silesian Shack ), one of the oldest mining towns in the Giant Mountains, was founded the time of the 30 Years War goes back. On the Czech side and thus on the southern slope, the Labská bouda ( Elbe Falls House ) was built in 1975 at an altitude of 1340 m , an eight-story concrete block in the architectural style of Brutalism . Ten years earlier, the original mountain hut from the first half of the 19th century had burned out.