Über den Naturlehrpfad auf die Lausche (793 m)

The striking phonolite mountain Luž (793 m) rises above the landscape from the main ridge of the Lusatian Mountains about 2 km south of the center of Waltersdorf and 700 m north of the settlement of Myslivny near Horní Světlá (Oberlichtenwalde). Its size is particularly noticeable when viewed from the north or east, while from the south and west it only looks like a relatively small hilltop. The Lausche is the highest point of the Lusatian / Zittau Mountains and has a special significance for the Germans because it is also the highest peak in the German territory east of the Elbe. It was first mentioned in 1538 as Spitzberg, later it was also called Heilstein or Hickelstein. The inhabitants of Waltersdorf often called it Mittagsberg, as they believed that the sun was just above its summit at midday. The current German name Lausche is not documented until 1631 and the Czech name Luž was used for the first time in Kafka's hiking guide from 1909. The name Hückelstein or Hickelstein is still used in Germany to designate the lower north-western pre-summit.