Ore Mountains
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Image:Myslivny bozi dar lake.jpg The Ore Mountains (German Erzgebirge, Czech Krušné hory) are a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They form the border between both countries for 150 km, extending from the western border of Saxony to the Elbe river.
The western portions of the Ore Mountains have the highest peaks. The Klínovec (1244 m) on the Czech side and the Fichtelberg (1214 m) on the German side are the highest mountains of this range. In the west the Ore Mountains are continued by the much lower Bavarian Fichtelgebirge. In the east the Elbe Sandstone Mountains on both banks of the Elbe river may be regarded as the easternmost extension of the Ore Mountains. East the Elbe, the mountain chain continues as the Lusatian Mountains. The Ore Mountains slope gently away to the north, where the cities of Zwickau and Chemnitz are located on the foothills, but the southern incline is extremely steep.
The Ore Mountains were virtually unsettled during the Middle Ages and covered with dense forests. In the 15th century the discovery of silver and tin deposits led to the settlement of the mountains and the foundation of cities. The name is derived from the richness in mineral resources. Segmented Erz-gebirge, the name takes Erz- from the Tuscan city Arezzo, which produced such fine metal that its name became the German word for metal. Gebirge are "mountains." Today the mountains are also a popular winter sports resort.
The Ore Mountains are famous for many Christmas traditions. During the decline of silver and tin deposits, former miners had to look for new ways to feed their families. Besides lace making and woving, they went into wood carving. Nutcrackers, Smoking Men, Pyramids (carousels with figures of the Christmas story or from mining) and Schwibbogen (wooden arcs with candles in the windows, symbolising the opening of a mine) are just some of many Christmas items of the Ore Mountains. Seiffen in the East Ore Mountains was a centre of the wooden toy industry.cs:Krušné hory de:Erzgebirge et:Maagimäestik es:Erzgebirge eo:Ercmontaro fr:Monts Métallifères nl:Ertsgebergte ja:エルツ山地 pl:Rudawy sv:Erzgebirge