What is the highest summit in Switzerland?

The highest summit in Switzerland is Dufourspitze, at 4,634 metres.

Dufourspitze is the highest point of the Monte Rosa massif and the Pennine Alps. The summit is in Valais near the Italian border, making the mountain a striking example of how national boundaries and mountain names do not always align neatly. Monte Rosa itself is a cross-border massif, while the summit of Dufourspitze lies on Swiss territory.

The peak was first climbed on 1 August 1855 by a party including the guides Matthäus and Johannes Zumtaugwald, Ulrich Lauener and British climbers led by Charles Hudson. It was originally known as Höchste Spitze, meaning “highest peak.” Switzerland renamed it Dufourspitze in 1863 to honour Guillaume-Henri Dufour, the engineer, general and cartographer associated with the Dufour Map.

A frequent mix-up is the Dom, which is the highest mountain located entirely within Switzerland. Dufourspitze remains the country’s highest summit and highest point, while the Matterhorn is more famous but substantially lower.