Elbe Sandstone Mountains

Extending on both sides of the Elbe River at the German–Czech border, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Elbsandsteingebirge) form a plateau deeply dissected into isolated pillars, mesas, and narrow canyons. The rock, a fine-grained Cretaceous sandstone, has eroded into towers up to 600 metres above sea level that are climbed by a dedicated tradition of free-climbing using knotted rope slings. The landscape inspired 19th-century painters of the German Romantic school, particularly Caspar David Friedrich.