Fichtelberg is the highest peak in Saxony at 1,215 metres, and the nature reserve surrounding it is a true paradise for lovers of mountain landscapes. This is a place where flower-strewn mountain meadows, peat bogs and rocky slopes create a mosaic of habitats found nowhere else in the Ore Mountains.

The 209-hectare reserve is made up of six separate sections, including former protected areas such as Zechengrund and Fichtelberg-Südhang. The landscape impresses with its diversity - colourful mountain meadows sit alongside heather-covered slopes, fast-flowing mountain streams and damp low and transitional bogs. In summer the hills come alive with rare flowering species, while in winter the area is blanketed in snow, drawing skiers to nearby Oberwiesenthal. A distinctive feature of the area are the so-called Beerhübl - hummocky ground formations covered in bilberry, formed during the last ice age and preserved to this day.

How to get there

• Oberwiesenthal — accessible via the B95 federal road, which cuts through the reserve, moderate route
• Hiking trails leading from town westward toward the Czech border

Practical information

• Protected area since 2007 — stay on marked trails only
• Home to protected species such as the common European adder and corncrake - please keep noise low and tread carefully
• The border with the Czech Republic runs along the western and southern edge of the area

This is one of the few places in Germany where you can spot the rare Apollo-related clouded yellow butterfly and the blooming fire lily - a true feast for the eyes of any botanist or nature photographer.