Faulhorn, Mountain summit in Bernese Alps, Switzerland
Faulhorn is a mountain summit in the Bernese Alps rising to 2,681 meters (8,796 feet) between Lake Brienz and Grindelwald. From the top, visitors can see seven Swiss lakes and the peaks of the High Alps.
A mountain hotel was constructed on the summit between 1830 and 1833 by Samuel Blatter, making it one of the oldest alpine hotels built for tourism. The building represents an early milestone in organized mountaineering and tourism in the Alps.
The name originates from the black limestone shale that makes up the mountain, with 'faul' describing the crumbly texture of the rock layers. Visitors can observe this geological feature in the exposed rock formations around the summit.
The main hiking path to the summit starts from First gondola station and takes about two hours on foot. Multiple routes are available from different starting points, making it accessible to hikers of varying abilities.
The artist Heinrich Müller documented the mountain's views through detailed etchings in the 1870s, capturing the alpine landscape during the early days of mountain tourism. These works provide a rare visual record of how the region appeared to 19th-century travelers.
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