Ludwigshöhe (4,341 m a.s.l.)

The Ludwigshöhe is one of the nine summits of the Monte Rosa Massif that is uniquely defined as a 4,000-metre summit. The border between Italy, with the Valle d'Aosta und Piedmont regions, and Switzerland runs over it. On the Italian side, facing south-east, the mountains falls steeply away in the direction of Ghiaccaio delle Piode. The Ludwigshöhe was first climbed by a team of surveyors on the 25th August 1822, for purely scientific reasons. Ludwig Freiherr von Welden, a topographist and General of the Austrian K.u.K. monarchy, the leader of the expedition, named no less than eight of the nine peaks of the Monte Rosa Massif. As was generally the case at the start of the 19th century, no names or scientific descriptions existed for these. Von Welden determined the location, name and height of the summit in words, pictures and maps. He was also the first to draw up a map of the complete Monte Rosa Massif.

Origin of the name
The day of the first ascent was the feast day of the sanctified French king Louis IX (in German: Ludwig IX), the 25th of August. Ludwig von Welden gave this as the reason for the name, and not his own name and his achievement.