| Fichtelberg | |
| Mountain | |
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Fichtelberghaus with viewing tower
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| Country | Germany |
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| State | Saxony |
| Range | Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge, Krušné hory) |
| Elevation | 1,214.6 m (3,985 ft) |
| Coordinates | |
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Location in Saxony
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The Fichtelberg (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪçtəlbɛɐ̯k]) is a mountain with two main peaks in the middle of the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge; Czech: Krušné hory) in Saxony, eastern Germany near the Czech border. At 1,214.6 m (3,985 ft) above sea level, the Fichtelberg is the highest mountain in Saxony, the second highest in the Ore Mountains and used to be the highest mountain in East Germany. Its lower peak is 1,206 m (3,957 ft) high.
The Fichtelberg rises above the holiday and winter sports resort of Oberwiesenthal, both connected by the Fichtelberg Cable Car. This cable car was opened in 1924[1], the cable is 1,175 m long with a height difference of 305 m. It takes six minutes to travel from the valley to the top of the mountain. Since the lower half of the mountain has large car parks, while parking near the top is limited, visitors and hikers are is strongly advised to catch the bus or cable car.
On the summit of the mountain stands the Fichtelberghaus (a restaurant, cafeteria-style restaurant and a hotel) with its 31m-tall viewing tower. The newer part of the building was opened in 1999, as the remains of the original Fichtelberghaus (built in 1888, burnt down on 25 February 1963) was torn down in 1967.
On clear days, one can see to the mountains in the northern Czech Republic (the České středohoří, Lusatian Mountains, Jizera Mountains or Krkonoše) and to the Bohemian Forest to the south. The area around Fichtelberg and the neighbouring Klínovec mountain are famous for winter sport facilities, providing many ski lifts and cross-country ski tracks.