Sommerberg (497 m) is a modest, forested peak in the eastern part of the Zittau Mountains, right on the German-Czech border. The summit itself is hidden by trees, but its western slope hides a viewpoint that makes the walk worthwhile.

The mountain is covered in dense forest, giving it a quiet, unassuming character rather than a dramatic one - it's a relaxed destination rather than a demanding climb. On the open western slope, a clearing opens up views over Lückendorf and the mountain ridge stretching from Hochwald over Brandhöhe and Scharfenstein to Zigeunerberg. The meadow on this slope, home to quaking grass, thyme, lesser burnet-saxifrage and Carthusian pink, is a protected mountain hay meadow. In winter, the area comes alive with cross-country ski trails.

How to reach the summit

• Lückendorf — easy, about 1 hour, undemanding trail
• Petersdorf (Petrovice, Czech side) — alternative approach from the south

Practical information

• A 2.7 km cross-country ski trail, the Sommerbergloipe, circles the mountain
• A ski slope with a 60 m drop once existed on the western slope, with a 400 m tow lift decommissioned in 2006
• At the foot of the mountain in Taubengrund, near Gabler Straße, lies the Forsthaushöhle cave
• Southeast of the summit, close to the Czech border, is the Scheibenborn spring

The protected hay meadow on the western slope is one of the few remaining habitats of its kind in the region - worth a slower pace to spot the rare flowers growing here.