Giant Mountains Foothills
| Giant Mountains Foothills | |
|---|---|
Eastern part of the territory with Trutnov | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Hejlov |
| Elevation | 839 m (2,753 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 75 km (47 mi) |
| Area | 1,247 km2 (481 mi2) |
| Geography | |
Giant Mountains Foothills in the geomorphological system of the Czech Republic | |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Regions | Hradec Králové, Liberec |
| Range coordinates | 50°33′N 15°38′E / 50.550°N 15.633°E |
| Parent range | Western Sudetes |
The Giant Mountains Foothills (Czech: Krkonošské podhůří) are foothills of the Giant Mountains range and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Western Sudetes in the Hradec Králové and Liberec regions. It and covers about 1,247 km2. Its highest point is Hejlov (839 m) near Jablonec nad Jizerou.[1][2]
Geography
The Giant Mountains Foothills lie in the midst of the following mountain ranges: to the northeast are the Broumov Highlands, to the east the Podorlicko Uplands, to the west the Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge, to the northwest the Jizera Mountains, and to the north the Giant Mountains.
The Giant Mountains Foothills are a varied belt of hills, ridges and basins drained mainly by the Elbe, Úpa and Jizera river systems.[2] They are subdivided into three geomorphological microregions: the Železný Brod Highlands in the west, the Podkrkonošská Uplands in the centre, and the Zvičina–Kocléřov Ridge in the east.[1]
The region adjoins the Giant Mountains to the north and is connected with other Western Sudetic and Bohemian upland units to the west, south and east. Its relief is lower and more open than that of the main Giant Mountains range, consisting chiefly of rolling uplands, short ridges and incised valleys. The largest town in the region is Trutnov.[2]
Geology
Geologically, the region is closely associated with the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin and the so-called Podkrkonoší Permocarbon. Carboniferous and Permian sedimentary rocks, together with volcanic material, are widely exposed and have long attracted geological research because of their fossil-bearing strata and characteristic red-bed sequences.[3]
Nature
The landscape of the Giant Mountains Foothills is a mosaic of forests, meadows, fields and settlements. Along its northern and western margins, parts of the region meet or overlap the outer zone of protection associated with Krkonoše National Park, forming a transitional belt between the high mountain environment of the Krkonoše and the lower agricultural country to the south.[4][5]
References
- ^ a b Demek, Jaromír; Mackovčin, Peter, eds. (2006). Zeměpisný lexikon ČR: Hory a nížiny (in Czech) (2nd ed.). Brno: Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic.
- ^ a b c "Krkonošské podhůří". Mapy.com. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "Permokarbon západní a centrální části podkrkonošské pánve" (PDF) (in Czech). Czech Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "Krkonoše – ISOP Portál AOPK ČR". Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "Krkonošský národní park". Krkonose.eu (in Czech). Retrieved 2 March 2026.