Sünser Spitze

The Sünser Spitze is a 2,061-metre-high subsidiary peak of the Hochblanken in the Damülser Mountains of the Bregenzerwald range in Vorarlberg. It stands on the border between Mellau in the Bregenzerwald and Dornbirn, the largest city in the state, making it the highest point within Dornbirn’s municipal boundaries. The summit lies within the Hohe Kugel – Hoher Freschen – Mellental nature reserve, a protected area known for its alpine flora and rugged terrain. The peak forms part of a ten-kilometre ridge that stretches west from the Sünser Spitze to the Klippern, passing over several named summits including the Ragazer Blanken and Damülser Mittagsspitze. The ridge slopes gently southwards towards Damüls but drops steeply northwards in bare rock bands. Below the summit lies the Sünser See, a glacial lake fed by meltwater from the surrounding peaks. Both the lake and the summit are accessible via clearly marked hiking trails that wind through alpine meadows and rocky outcrops. The name Sünser Spitze appears to derive from an old term linked to the Sunno family or the Old High German word for ‘son’. Early maps from 1857 called it Fallelei Joch, and it was only in the 1960s that the current name became official. The peak is also known locally as Sünser Blanken, a Walser term recorded in alpine club guides. From the summit, wide views stretch across the Bregenzerwald and the Rhine Valley, taking in other peaks such as the Hohe Licht and the Gungern. The contrast between the gentle southern slopes and the dramatic northern faces adds to the mountain’s striking character.