Rothorn

Rothorn is a toponym used for several mountains in the German-speaking parts of the Alps. The name combines rot, meaning red, and horn, meaning peak or promontory, and is often applied to summits with reddish rock faces or a horn-like silhouette. Because it is a common element in mountain nomenclature, several different peaks bear the name.

The best-known Rothorn is the Brienzer Rothorn, located in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It rises to about 2,351 meters and is notable for the Brienzer Rothorn Bahn, a historic cog railway that climbs from Brienz to the summit. The peak provides panoramic views of Lake Brienz and the surrounding Alpine ranges, including the Jungfrau region.

Other peaks named Rothorn exist across the Swiss Alps and in other German-speaking areas of the Alps, though they are typically smaller and less prominent than the Brienzer Rothorn. To avoid confusion, the name is usually specified with the nearby valley, region, or municipality.

Use and accessibility: Rothorns are popular targets for day hikes and, in winter, for ski touring where conditions permit. The terrain ranges from grassy slopes to rocky ridges and may require basic mountaineering in higher variants.

Geology and ecology: like many Alpine summits, Rothorns lie in diverse rock formations across subranges, with elevations that create alpine meadows above the tree line and varied ecological zones depending on location and aspect.