The significant landscape landmark and natural monument Vysoký kámen is formed by a group of bizarre quartzite rocks with a view of the Ore Mountains, Slavkov Forest and Smrčiny. The rock blocks rise up to twenty meters above the terrain and are bare, without significant vegetation cover. They are built of massive, black-gray, plate-like, crumbling quartzite, which is classified as an Ordovician Frauenbach Formation.
Vysoký kámen. Photo: Lubor Ferenc (Wikipedia)
The rock is penetrated by a large number of striking light quartz veins and lenses. These were formed in cracks by the precipitation of silica released from the rock during metamorphism. Some veins were later folded into recumbent folds together with the surrounding rock.The rocky slopes are an ideal environment for cranberry shrub communities, which are typical vegetation here. In addition to several significant plant species, a large number of lichens occur here.
Photo 1-3: Vysoký kámen