Black Pockau

The Black Pockau is a left tributary of the River Flöha in the Ore Mountains. This virtually unspoilt wild stream with a length of 33 km is known for the picturesque gorge in its middle reaches.Its murky waters flowing from bogs in the hills give the river a dark colour. The name Pockau, which was recorded in similar form in 1292, probably comes from the Czech and means "opposed", i.e. a stream flowing from Bohemia towards the north.CourseThe Black Pockau rises 890 metres above sea level (NHN) in a raised bog northeast of the Haßberg in the Bohemian Orwe Mountains. The Chomutovka (German: Assigbach), which flows into the Czech Republic, also has its source here.After 500 metres the stream reaches the German-Czech border at the old road between Přísečnice (Preßnitz) and Kalek (Kallich) and flows through the Satzung municipal pond (Satzunger Gemeindeteich). From here on, it forms the national border for 13 kilometres, as far as the village of Kühnhaide. In this section it passes the villages of Satzung (the former village of Ulmbach (Jilmová) on the Bohemian side opposite was demolished in 1945) and Reitzenhain (the village of Reizenhain (Pohraniční), that used to be on the Bohemian side, was also abandoned).