Progression Elbe → North Sea Basin size 140 km² | River system Elbe | |
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Location Czech Republic, Germany Main source in Šluknov Hook in the Czech Republic west of Studánka
490 m n.m. River mouth in Bad Schandau into the Elbe
116 m above sea level (NN) | ||
The Kirnitzsch, in Bohemia also called the Kirnischt (Czech: Křinice), is a right tributary of the River Elbe, which passes through the Czech Republic and the German Free State of Saxony.
GeographyEdit
The Kirnitzsch, also called the Kirnscht or Kirnsch in the local dialect, rises in the Lusatian Highlands in Bohemia west of the village of Studánka (Schönborn) and flows westwards through the town of Krásná Lípa (Schönlinde). Behind the village of Kyjov (Khaa) it wends its way along narrow ravines through the sandstone rocks of Bohemian Switzerland. The wild, romantic valley is also called the Khaatal (Kyjovske údoli).
On the site of the village of Hinterdaubitz (Zadní Doubice), demolished after 1945, the border stream of Weißbach empties into the Kirnitzsch, which, from this point, forms the border between the Czech Republic and Saxony. Further downstream the Kirnitzsch is first impounded at the Obere Schleuse ("Upper Lock") so that boating can take place on the stream.
At the end of the Kirnitzsch Gorge (Kirnitzschklamm) used to stand the houses of the border village of Hinterdittersbach (Zadní Jetřichovice) and the settlement of Kirnscht (Křinice). These places, too, no longer exist. From here the Kirnitzsch flows through Saxon Switzerland, where it is impounded again at the Niedere Schleuse ("Lower Lock"). Shortly thereafter the Kirnitzsch enters the narrow Kirnitzsch Valley (Kirnitzschtal). It flows through the valley for about 45 kilometres to the Lichtenhain Waterfall. After another eight kilometres it discharges into the Elbe at Bad Schandau. Over its last few kilometres it is followed by the Kirnitzschtal tramway that runs parallel to the Kirnitzsch.