The Lusatian Mountains may not be the tallest range in Central Europe, but they more than make up for it with character. Straddling the Czech-German border, this compact highland rewards visitors with volcanic summits, sandstone rock cities, and a wonderfully unhurried atmosphere that feels worlds away from the tourist crowds of the Tatras or the Alps.

The scenery here is a fascinating patchwork: dome-shaped phonolite and basalt peaks rise above broad forested plateaus, while narrow canyon-like valleys cut deep into the underlying sandstone. On the German side — known as the Zittauer Gebirge — dramatic rock formations offer hundreds of climbing routes and easy via ferrata trails. The Czech side leans quieter, with dense beech forests, nature reserves, and the kind of hiking that lets you breathe. Remarkably, the main European watershed between the Baltic and North seas runs straight through these hills.

• Luž / Lausche (793 m) — the highest peak of the range, sitting right on the Czech-German border with sweeping views across Saxony and northern Bohemia
• Zittauer Gebirge rock towns — sandstone labyrints on the German side, beloved by climbers and families alike
• Tolštejn Castle ruins — a medieval hilltop fortress with panoramic views across the whole range
• Kamenice Valley — a deep, canyon-carved valley with striking rock scenery

• Best time: May–October — summer for lush trails and long days, autumn for spectacular beech colours
• Base towns: Krásná Lípa or Nový Bor (CZ); Zittau (DE)
• Trail difficulty: easy to moderate — great for families and beginners; rock climbing requires experience
• Getting there: by car via Liberec or Dresden; by train to Zittau or Nový Bor, then local buses

Here is a fact worth knowing: the Lusatian Mountains are considered the birthplace of Czech glassmaking — and the region is also home to a remarkable concentration of traditional half-timbered arcade houses found almost nowhere else in this form.