Churfirsten

Hinterrugg, Schibenstoll, Zuestoll, Brisi, Frümsel and Selun (left to right ) was added below the Rotsteinpasses

Churfirsten seen from the south on Lake Walen

The Churfirsten are - depending on how you count - six to thirteen mountains in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, which together form a mountain chain with multiple broken ridge. They belong to the Appenzell Alps lie between the upper Toggenburg and Lake Walen. In previous centuries, they lay on the border of the territory of Chur.

Description

The Churfirsten are a chain of relatively young limestone elevations. In the north they run in relatively shallow ridges of up to Toggenburg. Southward the chain falls almost vertically to Walenstadtberg and then to Lake Walen up to 419 m above sea level. M. from. The rocky south flank was considerably influenced by the Rhine Glacier in the Würm. The Churfirsten are the symbol of Toggenburg and distinctive points of the Sarganserland.

The rock ceiling of the peak structure of the Churfirsten like a snake from the west moves ( head of the snake ) up across the back and has a distinctive curved Sichelchamm the tail end. Here, the Sichelchamm is already southeast of completion of the Churfirsten at the ' Nideri ' and leads further into another mountain range with surprisingly constant peak heights.

The summit

The " seven Churfirsten " as, inter alia, are called in the tourism advertising glad from west to east: Selun ( 2,205 m), Frümsel ( 2,263 m), Brisi ( 2'279 m), Zuestoll ( 2'235 m), Schibenstoll ( 2'234 m ), Hinterrugg ( 2306 m ) and Chäserrugg ( 2,262 m). On Selun the Wildenmannlisloch be found. It is believed that John Seluner lived there.

The non- "official" summit further west are: Wart ( 2,068 m), Schäären ( 2'171 m), Naegeli mountain ( 2,163 m), Leistchamm ( 2'101 m). The lowest number of six Churfirsten arises from the fact that the Chäserrugg actually not even considered an extension summit because it is not separated by a minimum of 30 meters from the high saddle Hinterrugg; It is only 14 meters.

The Chäserrugg with its summit restaurant is accessed by funicular from underwater to Iltios and then take the cable car Iltios - Chäserrugg. " Chäserrugg " is also the name for the north to Stöfeli sloping ridge with ski slope and ski lift in winter. The slopes on the Stöfeli to Iltios and is part of the area Obertoggenburg. From Iltios to Stöfeli ( 1,682 m ) has also a ski lift. Skiers are encouraged by signs not to leave the runway, as the area is rocky traversed by the Chäserrugg and karst holes.

Name

The name was often incorrectly derived in the past by the " seven electors " of the Holy Roman-German Empire; With their " collegial formation" reminded the mountain range to the since the Middle Ages popular motif representation of the German electoral college, which is why you compulsively always comes at the hilltops on the number seven.

The naming came from the monastery of St. Gall from, which thus gave his position as imperial abbey expression. From the conflicts with the Toggenburgern probably the ridicule form " Kuhfürsten " or " Kuhfirsten " was born. The first map of JJ Buhler from 1784 contains the name " The VII Elector ". This name form is predominant in the 19th century and also the Chäserrugg is usually listed as "Kaiser jerk ". Only the Eschmann card from 1854 opts for " Churfirsten ".