Schöner Mann

The Schöner Mann stands on the border between Dornbirn and Hohenems in Vorarlberg, rising to 1532 metres. It is the highest point in the Schuttannenberges range, though older maps once listed it as 1539 metres. The name has shifted over time: early surveys did not mark the summit at all, while later maps placed the label on a western rock outcrop or a nearby 1522-metre spur. Only since 1961 do official maps consistently call the summit Schöner Mann, though some still use Wendkopf or Wängkopf. Silver and lead mining once took place near the Schönermannalpe on the southern slope. A 909 charter from Chur first records the workings, and by 1430 the mine was counted among the goods held as a hereditary fief of the Lords of Ems. The alpine pasture still bears the mountain’s name, linking past industry with today’s quiet upland meadows. A rough path from the south-east leads to the summit marked by a cross. From the top there are wide views across the Bodensee and the ranges of Austria and Switzerland. The Schönermannalpe below offers a gentler start for walkers, where cattle graze and the names of the mountain live on in local place-names.