Cottaer Spitzberg (390.8 m a.s.l.) is a striking volcanic tephrite cone sitting on the western edge of Saxon Switzerland — a compact but unmistakable landmark that dominates the surrounding plateau. Despite its modest height, the open rocky summit rewards visitors with a sweeping 360-degree panorama that feels far more dramatic than the numbers suggest.

From the top you can see north to Pirna and the Lusatian Highlands, northwest across the Elbe valley, south and west to the ridge of the Eastern Ore Mountains, and east to the iconic sandstone table mountains of Saxon Switzerland and the volcanic cones of the Bohemian Central Uplands. The mountain has a wonderfully varied character: the north-facing slope shelters a mixed oak-hornbeam woodland full of lungwort, while the sunny southern and western flanks host warmth-loving plants typical of much more southerly climates. In autumn the whole hillside glows gold, making it a rewarding short excursion in any season.

• Großcotta (Cotta A) — short footpath from the north, difficulty: easy
• Kleincotta (Cotta B) — short path from the northeast, difficulty: easy
• Berggießhübel or Zwiesel — marked hiking trails from the south, difficulty: easy to moderate

• The summit has been a protected nature monument (Flächennaturdenkmal) since 1979 — please stick to marked paths.
• A 49-metre telecommunications mast was erected on the summit in 2019.
• Just below the summit on the northwest side stands what is believed to be a medieval penitential cross.

When quarrymen were extracting basalt here in the 19th century, one rocky outcrop was deliberately left untouched — purely because a triangulation pillar for the Saxon land survey had been placed on it in 1865. That lucky column saved the summit we can enjoy today.