Nejdek Rock
The nose beneath a castle tower
The environs of the town of Nejdek are known for its varied geological structure and numerous mining monuments. Here, the mineral deposits (mainly tin, tungsten, iron and ceramic raw material) are visibly associated with the granites of the Karlovy Vary (Nejdek-Eibenstock) Massif.
The main landmark of the town is the Romanesque Černá (“Black“) Tower situated on a granite buttress. The amazing shape of the Nejdek Rock – also called Knížecí (“Prince´s“) Nose – was formed by the weathering and erosion of the softer parts of the rock along natural fractures, by the erosive flow of the Rolava River, and by quarrying work as well. The rock is composed of coarse-grained biotite granite of a light grey to pinkish colour.
While travelling from Schneeburg in Saxony to Karlovy Vary in 1786, Johann Wolfgang Goethe admired the rock as well and even made a drawing of it. Today, a memorial plaque dedicated to Ignaz Sichelbarth (1708–1780), a native of Nejdek, Jesuit missionary, principal painter and mandarin to the Court of the Emperor in Peking, is located at the top of the rock.
