Molkenrain, Mountain summit in Grand Est region, France.
Molkenrain is a rounded summit in the Vosges, reaching 1,125 metres above Cernay, 19 km northwest of Mulhouse. Its upper slopes carry dark brown and muted green vegetation, with patches of pale open ground and wooded areas below the crest. Near the top stand a farm inn, a refuge, and two self-supporting radio masts of 20 and 25 metres at an altitude of 1,104 metres.
The name Molkenrain is attested as Mulckenrain in the 1550 Urbaire de Wattwiller. It combines the Alemannic Molke (milk or dairy product), found in a Soultz toponym as early as 1357, with Rain (slope or edge), recorded as Raÿn in 1477 and rendered as 'height' in the 18th century.
The name Molkenrain is recorded as Mulckenrain in the 1550 Urbaire de Wattwiller, from the Alemannic Molke (milk) and Rain (slope), giving "slope of milk". The Sihlbach refuge near the summit served as the chalet set for François Truffaut's 1962 film Jules et Jim.
The peak is accessible via well-marked hiking trails that begin from several starting points in the valleys below. Tourist information and lodging options are available in the nearby towns of Thann and Cernay.
The Sihlbach refuge on the Molkenrain served as the chalet set for François Truffaut's 1962 film Jules et Jim, a landmark of the French New Wave. The building stands below the summit, and the summit area also holds a farm inn and two self-supporting radio masts 20 and 25 metres tall.
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