Erzgebirge

Erzgebirge mountain range, central Europe. It extends, from the Fichtelgebirge in the southwest to the Elbe River in the northeast, along the border of the state of Saxony (Sachsen), Germany, and the region of Bohemia, Czech Republic. The range called Krušné Hory in Czech, is about 130 km (about 80 mi) long and 40 km (25 mi) wide. The southern slopes are precipitous and thickly forested; the northern slopes are more gradual and are interspersed with large, fertile valleys. The greatest average heights are in the extremities of the range, which include Klínovec (German Keilberg), the highest peak (1,244 m/4,080 ft); Fichtelberg (1,214 m/3,983 ft); and Špičák (1,115 m/3,658 ft). Although the mineral wealth of the range has been greatly depleted, it was largely responsible for the industrial importance of Saxony and of Bohemia.