Strahlkopf

The Strahlkopf stands in the Bregenzerwald range above the town of Hohenems in Vorarlberg. It is a small limestone summit rising to 1 366 m and belongs to the ridge of the Hohe Kugel. The mountain’s name comes from the bright rock that catches the light on clear days. The rock is unstable and not suitable for climbing, but it has yielded an important fossil. A partial shell of an ammonite called Pictetia was found here and is now kept at the University of Zürich. The mountain also features a striking 50 m cliff that dominates the southern face. A footpath leads from Hohenems up to the Emser Hütte, a mountain refuge 1 283 m high, only 200 m south of the summit. From the hut a short scramble brings walkers to the top where views stretch across the Rhine valley and Lake Constance. The contrast between the pale limestone cliffs and the green meadows below makes the Strahlkopf a quiet but rewarding destination.