Finkenhübel

The Finkenhübel is a bare basalt hill 410.6 metres high in the eastern part of Saxony’s Upper Lusatia. It stands between the valleys of the Mandau and Lausur rivers on land belonging to the village of Großschönau. About 300 metres west of its summit runs the border with the Czech Republic, while the western slope lies in the Warnsdorf district. The hill is encircled by the Mandau on its northern side and the Lausur on its southern side, with the Karlsdorfer stream forming a gentle valley to the west. A triangulation tower on the summit is visible for many kilometres around. Nearby hills include the Warnsdorfer Spitzberg to the north, the Hutberg to the north-east, the Weberberg to the south-west and the Grenzbuche ridge to the west. The Jahnsberg lies directly east of the Finkenhübel. The hilltop once carried a triangulation frame, and the slopes still show traces of former phonolite quarries. A disused quarry at the Jahnsberg, covering 0.4 hectares, is now protected as a natural monument. The old Königsweg trail, once used by King Matthias in 1611, runs along the south-western slope, and a former inn called “Am Finkenhübel” once stood close to the border.