Lichte (river)

The Lichte River is a right tributary of the Schwarza in Thuringia, Germany, and is 17km long.SourcesThe Lichte rises as the Little Lichte in Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Thuringian Highlands.CourseThe Lichte flows north through the Thuringian Forest Nature Park, first through the Finsterer Grund (Dark Valley), where a now closed section of the Sonneberg – Probstzella single-track railway line passes over it on a viaduct. It then reaches the municipality of Lichte, which extends for approximately 5km along its banks. In the centre of Lichte (in the Wallendorf section) the Piesau joins the Lichte. Below the municipality of Lichte, the river passes through a roughly 3km long and 200m deep gorge, which ends in the Deesbach Forebay (height 42.5m). This is followed by the Leibis-Lichte Dam, the second tallest valley dam in Germany, 102.5m high. The municipality of Unterweißbach borders the dam and extends for approximately 3km along the river, which then empties into the Schwarza to the west of the municipality at Mankenbachsmuehle.The Lichte and Piesau both have unusually steep and deep gorges, the difference between hill tops and valley bottoms often exceeding 200m.TributariesThe rivers and streams in the area of the Lichte valley have been known for centuries for deposits of placer gold and are considered the most significant sources of gold in Germany. Recreational placer miners continue to find occasional gold nuggets.