Sněžka (Czech), Śnieżka (Polish), or Schneekoppe (German) is the highest peak in the Krkonoše (also known as Karkonosze (Polish) or Riesengebirge (German) (literally Giant Mountains)), a part of the Sudetes mountain range. It rises to 1,602 metres (5,260 ft) above sea level. Since 1945, it lies on the Czech-Polish border, and a border stone is placed on the very top of the mountain. Sněžka is the highest point in the Czech Republic.
The first his...
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Sněžka (Czech), Śnieżka (Polish), or Schneekoppe (German) is the highest peak in the Krkonoše (also known as Karkonosze (Polish) or Riesengebirge (German) (literally Giant Mountains)), a part of the Sudetes mountain range. It rises to 1,602 metres (5,260 ft) above sea level. Since 1945, it lies on the Czech-Polish border, and a border stone is placed on the very top of the mountain. Sněžka is the highest point in the Czech Republic.
The first historical account of an ascent to the peak is in 1456, by an unknown Venetian merchant searching for precious stones. The first settlements on the mountain soon appeared, being primarily mining communities, tapping into its deposits of copper, iron and arsenic. The mining shafts, totalling 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) in length, remain to this day.
The first recorded German name was Riseberg ("giant mountain", cf. Riesengebirge, "Giant Mountains"), mentioned by Georg Agricola in 1546. Fifteen years later the name Riesenberg appears on Martin Hellwig...
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