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@Hendrik
It is all relative I think. If you are used to riding a road bike with the saddle higher than the handle bars then you probably need to lower it. If you are used to riding a jump bike with the saddle scraping the back tyre then you need to raise it.
Personally, unless you are into serious downhill stuff (near vertical, big drops, etc.) then I would have the saddle at a height where you can grip it (lightly) between your thighs. Standing up and gripping the saddle like that gives you a lot more control than sitting down when attempting technical routes (i.e. rough stuff). It also means you can move your weight forwards (for climbing) or backwards (for descending/dropping) pretty easily. Plus, it is much more comfortable over the bumps, unless you have a full-sus but even on one of those you still want to stand for the really big bits.
I used to lower my saddle religiously when I first started riding off-road. Then I kept forgetting to lift it back up again with the resultant achy knees issues. Then I just couldn't be bothered moving it and left it at a reasonable height for general use. Recently I tried lowering it for a particularly 'interesting' single track and regretted it all the way down as I couldn't feel or control the back of the bike with my thighs! I do occasionally get caught out with a chest (or worse, a groin) full of saddle but that is only when doing something silly like a near vertical roll off.
In short, a comfortable height saddle is definitely to be recommended for cross-country type riding.