Germany

News, publications, press releases, positions... on this page you find current and alpine-relevant information from Germany.

Articles, publications, press releases, CIPRA positions - here you find relevant information on alpine topics from Germany. Please check the other language versions in german, french, italian and slovene for more content.

Unsuitable landscapes for energy production

The results of a recent survey from Switzerland are clear: no to energy production in almost unspoilt mountain areas. Intensively used areas around ski resorts or existing power plants would be better suited to the expansion of renewable energy. Read More…

Visitor flows under control

More and more people are travelling to the mountains – and staying for shorter and shorter periods. This causes traffic and environmental problems. Pilot regions in Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Germany want to change that. With the speciAlps2 project, which is now coming to an end, they have taken the first steps to manage the flow of visitors. Read More…

Over the Alps on foot

In the summer of 2022, nine “Via Alpina Explorers” set out to hike the new red route of the Via Alpina. Three of them walked the route from start to finish, visiting all eight Alpine countries along the way – an undertaking that took four months. Read More…

Point of view: We need more young people in the Alps

Ageing, emigration and dying villages are typical problems for many mountain regions. It must therefore become attractive for young people to live in the Alps again, says Kathrin Holstein, member of CIPRA’s Youth Council and staff member of the Alliance in the Alps network of municipalities. Read More…

eco.mont - Vol. 15 / No. 1

“eco.mont – Journal of Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management” was founded as a joint initiative of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas (ALPARC), the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR), the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Innsbruck. “eco.mont” offers a platform specifically for scientists and practitioners working in and on protected mountain areas in Europe and overseas. Read More…

Bon Appétit!

[Project completed] From the field to the plate: In the "Bon Appétit!" project, young people dig into the earth, taste and process regional products and visit farms in their region. They experience how the food on their plate shapes the landscape around them. Read More…

Mountain Research and Development Open Issue | Vol. 42/3

Four studies from Italy, France, and Cyprus examine how production of Mediterranean mountain food specialties—cheese, beef, and wine—can support sustainable development in the producing regions. Insights for better visitor management in protected areas are offered in an article from Nepal, using geolocated social media images, and in one from the French Alps, based on an analysis of visitors’ attitudes. A study from South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains analyzes urbanization and land cover change. Read More…

South-East Europe’s first climate champions crowned

Climate protection across borders: on 9 November 2022, South-East Europe’s first Climate Champions were crowned in Sarajevo/BiH. From 40 projects submitted on climate protection and sustainability, an international jury of experts selected five, while two other projects received special awards. Read More…

Young people in action for the Alps

Implement your own ideas locally, initiate sustainable change and discover personal resources: these are the achievements of the two Erasmus+ youth projects, Alps2030 and Re.sources, that ended in autumn 2022. Read More…

A kindergarten again after 50 years

A small mountain village is reviving: in the 1980s, Ostana/I had shrunk to fewer than ten inhabitants. A slow but steady turnaround then followed: an important step on this path is the newly reopened kindergarten. Read More…

Alpine towns – key to sustainable development

The ninth Report on the State of the Alps, entitled “Alpine Towns”, was presented as part of the Swiss presidency of the Alpine Convention. It sheds light on how the Alpine settlement system hinders – or helps – the sustainable development of the Alps. Read More…

Alliance for climate-neutral Alpine transport

Seven of eight signatory states to the Alpine Convention today signed a progressive action plan for climate-neutral mobility by 2050 in Brig/CH. CIPRA International contributed to the almost two-year development of the action plan with proposals for the “Simplon Alliance”. Read More…

Making change possible

Inspirational inputs, heated discussions, fruitful exchanges and excursions into the impressive Valais region in and around the Alpine town of Brig-Glis/CH: AlpWeek 2022, held in early September in Brig-Glis/CH, was all about “Change in the Alps”. Read More…

Point of view: Let’s create an “Alpine Plan” for all Alpine regions!

The Bavarian Alpine Plan celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022. Alpine spatial planning has proven here that it is predestined to find solutions to the pressing issues of the day. Similar planning instruments are lacking in many Alpine regions, although we need them more urgently than ever, claim Paul Kuncio, Executive Director of CIPRA Austria, and Uwe Roth, Executive Director of CIPRA Germany. Read More…

Bad atmosphere in the Soča Valley

Slovenia’s largest cement plant is located in the Soča Valley: it is facing criticism for endangering the health of the local population through air pollution. This criticism has now also been confirmed by the UN Special Rapporteur David Boyd after his visit to Slovenia in autumn 2022. Read More…

Alliance for climate-neutral Alpine transport

Seven of eight signatory states to the Alpine Convention today signed a progressive action plan for climate-neutral mobility by 2050 in Brig/CH. CIPRA International contributed to the almost two-year development of the action plan with proposals for the “Simplon Alliance”. CIPRA and the Alpine Initiative are calling for more than mere lip service to the alliance. Read More…

Flexible and eco-friendly through the Alps

The right decision for their wallet and for the environment: 150 young participants in CIPRA’s Youth Alpine Interrail project celebrated the end of their climate-friendly journey of discovery through the Alps by train and bus in Bern at the beginning of October 2022. Read More…

Flexible and eco-friendly through the Alps

The right decision for their wallet and for the environment: 150 young participants in CIPRA’s Youth Alpine Interrail project celebrated the end of their climate-friendly journey of discovery through the Alps by train and bus in Bern at the beginning of October 2022. Read More…

Alpine Climate Camps

[Project completed] Recharge your batteries, experience glaciers, go by bike: The Alpine Climate Camps project combines mountain sports and climate protection while encouraging young climate activists. Read More…

Ideas for Jelovica from Pinzgau

Preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage: this is the aim of the project on the Slovenian karst plateau of Jelovica. In mid-September 2022, the Slovenian partners of the “JeloviZA” project travelled to the Austrian Pinzgau region to gain inspiration from the Hohe Tauern National Park region. Read More…

JeloviZA

[Project completed] The JeloviZA project aims to improve the condition of ecosystems and conserve certain species in the Slovenian Natura 2000 site Jelovica. Six project partners are working on a management plan for the area, which will include nature conservation, tourism and regional development. Read More…

Ideas for Jelovica from Pinzgau

Preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage: this is the aim of the project on the Slovenian karst plateau of Jelovica. In mid-September 2022, the Slovenian partners of the “JeloviZA” project travelled to the Austrian Pinzgau region to gain inspiration from the Hohe Tauern National Park region. Read More…

Via Alpina Explorer on the trail

Get your boots on, get set, go! Until the end of September 2022, nine “explorers” will be hiking along the redesigned Via Alpina route. They tell stories about alpine biodiversity, the magic of long-distance hiking, regional specialities and encounters along the way – in a series of short videos, reports, film and art projects. Read More…

Alps in transition

The ecological transition is already happening in the Alps – and we are in the middle of it. The AlpWeek 2022 from 5 to 7 September 2022 in Brig-Glis/CH will bring together citizens and decision-makers to discuss the many aspects of transformation in the Alps. CIPRA is co-organiser of the international event. Read More…

A signal for climate protection

From Triglav National Park in Slovenia to Radnig in Austria and Gondo in Switzerland, on 13 August 2022 people came together to set an example for climate protection. This year’s «Fire in the Alps» was held under the motto «The Alps need climate protection». Read More…

Co-housing instead of vacancies

What ideas are there for living together in the Alps? From co-housing to neighbourhood management in communities, a symposium in Saas-Fee/CH has helped shed light on these and other developments. Read More…

The “Green Communities” in the Italian Alps

Sustainable management of the built heritage, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly mobility: how can mountain areas be upgraded and the overuse of natural resources curbed? The first “Green Communities” in Italy want to show that this is also possible in a socially acceptable way. Read More…

Via Alpina Explorer on the trail

Get your boots on, get set, go! Until the end of September 2022, nine “explorers” will be hiking along the redesigned Via Alpina route. They tell stories about alpine biodiversity, the magic of long-distance hiking, regional specialities and encounters along the way – in a series of short videos, reports, film and art projects. Read More…

Natura 2000 site under pressure

Too many visitors are putting a strain on nature in the Trois Becs/F area and pushing the infrastructure to its limits. A study by CIPRA France proposes measures, including on-site personal sensitisation and greater communication. Read More…