Alps / Europe

News, publications, press releases, positions... on this page you find current and alpine-relevant information from the Alps and the european region.

Short story: The sheet of paper

We present one of the five short stories that won an award in the short story competition as part of the "Reading mountains (Berge lesen)" festival 2023in Vaduz. Read More…

Dossier Facts4Tourism

The dossier "Facts4Tourism" is a collection of facts and findings from science and research that deal with topics and challenges of tourism in the (German) Alpine region. In addition to background information, definitions of terms and practical examples, scientific publications and current research results are presented in a generally understandable way and with the help of graphics. The topics covered include different forms of tourism, their effects, the management of visitors and the challenge of "resilience in tourism". Read More…

Dossier Facts4Tourism

The dossier "Facts4Tourism" is a collection of facts and findings from science and research that deal with topics and challenges of tourism in the (German) Alpine region. In addition to background information, definitions of terms and practical examples, scientific publications and current research results are presented in a generally understandable way and with the help of graphics. The topics covered include different forms of tourism, their effects, the management of visitors and the challenge of "resilience in tourism". Read More…

speciAlps Podcast

[Project completed] From artificial intelligence to the last kilometre to carrying capacity limits and "nudging": the speciAlps podcast series and a webinar delve into the topic of visitor guidance for a broad audience. Read More…

Nudging in Alpine tourism

How can visitors to sensitive natural areas in the Alps be encouraged to behave responsibly without either prohibitions or financial incentives? The role of behavioural psychology in this field was discussed by some 150 participants in the webinar entitled “Nudging in Alpine Tourism”, held in September 2023. Read More…

Revitalising mountain regions

Trial living in villages, creating meeting spaces, revitalising wastelands: how new ideas can help to get people excited about living in the Alps again. Read More…

Flooded mountains

Drought, flooded villages, landslides and landslips: these have all happened in the Alps, but the climate crisis is making natural disasters more likely and preparations for emergencies all the more important. An Alpine-wide research project is therefore investigating the climate resilience of biosphere reserves. Read More…

Olympic bobsleigh track at any price

With two years to go until the Olympic Games, construction work on the new bobsleigh track in Cortina/I has not yet begun. No company wants to build it. In the meantime, the IOC is desperately looking for candidates for the 2030 Olympic Games, including Switzerland. Read More…

International Glacier Caravan

Six stages through three Alpine countries: this year’s international campaign by the Italian environmental organisation Legambiente, with the participation of CIPRA, condemned the retreat of the glaciers and thus raised awareness of climate change. Read More…

Cycling to the glacier

Exactly how mountaineering and climate protection can be combined was shown by a group of cyclists who biked from Lindau/D to the Ochsental Glacier/A at the start of September 2023. Topics along the way ranged from sustainable tourism to hydropower and nature conservation to glacier loss. Read More…

Too much, too loud, too crowded

From the tunnel blockade in Hallstatt/A to the protest rally on the Sella Pass/I: civil society is protesting against overtourism in the Alpine regions – and demanding relief for people and the environment. Read More…

Desealing land in the Alpine region

Soils are among our most important resources. CIPRA's new project, entitled Ground:breaking, shows why desealing land is of benefit to everyone and what is needed at political, legal and local levels in the Alpine region to achieve this. Read More…

Point of view: In nature restoration we trust!

The Nature Restoration Law now obliges all EU member states to restore destroyed nature to a good ecological condition and thus safeguard the stocks of pollinators, natural resources, clean air and clean water. The Alpine region and its agriculture will also benefit, says Serena Arduino, Co-President of CIPRA International. Read More…

Ground:breaking

Soils are among the most important resources we have. CIPRA's new Ground:breaking project shows why desealing land benefits everyone and what is needed at political, legal and local level in the Alpine region to achieve this. Read More…

Alpine Basecamp for good ideas

Revitalising valleys, identifying with landscapes, climbing more sustainably, using old irrigation systems innovatively, eating radically and locally: 18 participants honed such project ideas at the second “Alpine Changemaker Basecamp” (ACB), held in Silandro/I at the beginning of July 2023. Read More…

Controversial railway tunnel between Turin and Lyon

In mid-June 2023, hundreds of people gathered in the French border town of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to protest against the construction of a high-speed rail tunnel between Lyon and Turin. In a public statement, CIPRA France and Mountain Wilderness also criticised the project. Read More…

Ten years of the CIPRA Youth Council

What do young people need for a good life in the Alps? The CIPRA Youth Council (CYC) celebrated its tenth anniversary at the beginning of July 2023 with a panel discussion, a podcast workshop and a joint hike. Read More…

Alpine Basecamp for good ideas

Revitalising valleys, identifying with landscapes, climbing more sustainably, using old irrigation systems innovatively, eating radically and locally: 18 participants honed such project ideas at the second “Alpine Changemaker Basecamp” (ACB), held in Silandro/I at the beginning of July 2023. Read More…

Experience the last of the glaciers

Recharge your batteries, go cycling, visit the glaciers: the Alpine Climate Camps project combines mountain sports with climate protection, further encouraging young climate activists. A bicycle tour in Austria at the beginning of September 2023 and other activities in Switzerland and Italy will draw attention to the disappearing glaciers. Read More…

Managing climate risks in biosphere reserves

As an effect of climate change, droughts, floods and other natural hazards are becoming more frequent, sometimes even simultaneously. How can we as a society learn to cope with this and become more resilient in the process? What role can biosphere reserves play in the Alpine region and beyond? With CIPRA participation, a new research project is now looking into these questions. Read More…

The Alps – a zone of encounters

Who is moving around the Alpine region? Where do the conflict lines run and where do encounters take place? How can we find more climate-friendly routes and which paths might lead to a dead end? Questions like these are posed in the June 2023 issue of CIPRA's themed publication, SzeneAlpen. Read More…

Point of view: Avoiding transport collapse together

As regards the growing volume of individual and transit traffic, it can be stated that neither regional nor national perspectives will lead to solutions. We have to find them together, because the Alps lie in the midst of Europe. This geographical truism is central to an understanding of transport policy problems in the Alps so as to avoid transport collapse, says Kaspar Schuler, Executive Director of CIPRA International. Read More…

Lawsuits and laws for climate protection

Climate protection laws define clear climate targets, but for many the measures set out are insufficient. Climate lawsuits are increasing political pressure in the Alpine countries. Read More…

"Climate protection is health protection"

The health consequences of the climate crisis range from cardiovascular problems through to allergies, infectious diseases and depression. At the first Liechtenstein «Future Forum Alps», held at the end of June 2023, some 140 participants from various Alpine countries discussed measures for climate and health protection. Read More…

StoneRich

Stones create life: the SteinReich project aims to raise awareness of valuable elements of the Alpine cultural landscape, such as rock fragment piles and dry stone walls. Read More…

Central Mountains

The Central Mountains project strengthens the transfer of knowledge in and between the Alps and the Carpathians. Together with the project partners, CIPRA International Lab is working for the cross-border and sustainable development of mountain regions in Central Europe. Read More…