Muchów Hills are the largest basaltic massif in the Kaczawskie Foothills. They are located in the eastern part, southeast of Muchów, in the “Chełmy” Landscape Park. The culmination of the massif is Mszana (475 m), with the slightly isolated Obłoga (442 m) forming the eastern part. The summit area takes the form of a plateau in the central part and a narrow, trapezoidal ridge in the western part.
The occurrence of basalt on Muchów Hills has not been definitively determined. It could be the vent of a volcanic chimney along with an adjacent part of a lava stream, or a more complex form with fragments of two separate chimneys (Mszana and Obłoga). The age of the basalt in Muchów Hills has been determined to be approximately 31.6 million years.
The outcrops of basaltic substrate take the form of rocky ridges or spurs up to 10 metres in height. Below, there are extensive block covers with varying density. They represent the best-preserved example in the region of Pleistocene deposits of solifluction origin, resulting from the slow creep and flow of moist soil over frozen ground (permafrost). Muchów Hills also have significant botanical values. Their highest parts were designated as a nature reserve in 2015 to preserve valuable stands of beech-lime-maple trees, with a small admixture of spruce and numerous valuable species in the undergrowth and understory. The reserve covers an area of 99.92 hectares. On the western summit at 462 metres stands a low brick tower from 1912, which, due to the growth of neighboring trees, is currently devoid of scenic views.
Description: Piotr Migoń
In the vicinity of the reserve, there is a gnomon in Muchów.
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