Vrkoč is a sculptured basalt peak towering above the Elbe River above Vaňov near Ústí nad Labem. It belongs to the European rarity, which is protected as a national natural monument and represents a typical example of the columnar detachment of the chedis. The formation was uncovered in the 19th century when the rock was mined mainly for the construction of the Prague-Dresden railway line. Thanks to the geologist J. E. Hibsch and the builder Alois Negrelli, the mining was stopped.
The basalt stripes of the rock formation are fan-shaped and look like combed hair or a lady's bun, which gave this national natural monument its name - Vrkoč.
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Vrkoč
