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Fréjus: end of the road for the “Alpine motorway on rails”

After an 18-month closure caused by a landslide, the beginning of April 2025 saw the first passenger trains once more running through the Fréjus railway tunnel connecting Italy and France. The transport of trucks on freight trains has not been resumed, however.

Keeping our eyes on the stars

Dark nights have become a rarity in our bright world. Artificial light from settlements, industry, street lighting and billboards illuminates the night sky. In Austria, a new natural night sky area is being created that will preserve the view of the starry sky.

Voices along the Via Alpina

The Via Alpina has been connecting people, cultures and landscapes across the Alps for 25 years now. A podcast series tells the story of the project, highlights the challenges and opportunities of long-distance hiking and raises awareness of sustainable tourism in the Alps.

GOVQoL – Empowering Alpine communities to improve their quality of life

Alpine communities’ quality of life (QoL) is currently facing several challenges such as the depopulation of remote areas, reduced provision of services of general interest, the impacts of climate change, and mistrust of governance. These issues are not only reshaping the Alpine territories but also impacting the daily lives of its inhabitants. Despite the urgent need for responsive and inclusive governance, there is currently a significant gap in understanding and addressing QoL at the local level which our project aims to address.

OUT4INGOV: Shaping youth migration

The emigration of young people poses major challenges for many Alpine regions. The OUT4INGOV project is working with local organisations to develop innovative approaches to better manage youth migration and raise awareness of the issue in society.

An end to snowmobiles and heliskiing

In France, snowmobile tours are now officially banned in the Chamrousse ski resort; other areas could soon follow suit. In Austria, environmental organisations are calling for an end to heliskiing.

Webinars for cities and municipalities

Webinar series on cross-border mobility

The webinar series on cross-border mobility and European strategies and grants for mobility solutions aimed to strengthen the common understanding and European approach to local mobility solutions. The workshops were open to all stakeholders interested in these topics and provided a platform for exchange and cooperation.

A delegation from Chartreuse visits Bad Hindelang to discuss mobility in Alpine areas

As part of the European ERASMUS+ project "DINAMO - Developing International Nature Adapted Mobility Options", CIPRA Germany and CIPRA France organised exchange study visits between two pilot territories : the Chartreuse massif in France (represented by the regional natural park and the local authority "Coeur de Chartreuse") and the municipality of Bad Hindelang in Germany.

DINAMO Erasmus+ project: a new white paper on mountain mobility

The "DINAMO" project aims to address the challenges of rural mountain mobility by encouraging cooperation between different stakeholders and stimulating creative processes through international exchanges. The main objective is to promote sustainable mobility solutions in rural mountain areas, to help them become less dependent on individual car transport.

Learning about Alpine cross-mobility in the DINAMO Erasmus+ project webinars

As part of the European ERASMUS+ project "DINAMO - Developing International Nature Adapted Mobility Options", CIPRA Germany and CIPRA France organised two webinars on the topic of cross-border mobility and Alpine mobility strategies in June and July 2024.

DINAMO Erasmus+ project: the return trip from Bad Hindelang to Chartreuse

As part of the European ERASMUS+ project "DINAMO - Developing International Nature Adapted Mobility Options", CIPRA Germany and CIPRA France organised exchange study visits between two pilot territories : the Chartreuse massif in France (represented by the regional natural park and the local authority "Coeur de Chartreuse") and the municipality of Bad Hindelang in Germany.

Scientific tourism on the mountain

Raising tourists’ awareness about climate change through science: the Lautaret Alpine Garden, located right in the heart of the Ecrins National Park in France, features alpine plants from all over the world.

Alpine huts: the first victims of the climate crisis?

Water shortages, disintegrating mountains and renovation needs: managing Alpine huts has always been difficult, but the climate crisis is making the situation even worse. The Austrian Alpine Association has already issued an “Emergency call from the Alps”.

Young people’s demands for a good life in the Alps

Environmental protection, car-free mobility and better work-life balance: these were the political demands of young people from Germany, France, Slovenia and Liechtenstein at the end of the CIPRA “Alpine Compass” project.

Young people’s demands for a good life in the Alps

Environmental protection, car-free mobility and better work-life balance: these were the political demands of young people from Germany, France, Slovenia and Liechtenstein at the end of the CIPRA “Alpine Compass” project.

Reading Mountains Festival 2024

Celebrating Alpine cultural heritage in the scope of International Mountain Day - 11 December. The Reading Mountains Festival is a way to connect people who love books and mountains, even if they are physically apart. Book lovers and authors, mountaineers and artists throughout the Alps (and beyond) have a chance to discuss similar issues and evaluate the meaning, impact, and purpose of Alpine literature. Some of these discussions are captured in the film “People, Books and Mountains - The Quest for Alpine literature” that was produced as a follow up to the first editions of the Reading Mountains Festival.

Dossier Quality of life and young in the Alps the case of Slovenia, Germany and France

Between January 2023 and May 2024, CIPRA Slovenia was together with CIPRA Germany, CIPRA France, and CIPRA International working on researching the topic of quality of life for young people in the Alps. With the support from ERASMUS+, a Dossier, which is part of the project Alpine Compass: Youth for the quality of life in the Alps, was created.

DINAMO

[Project competed] In many rural areas of the Alps, public transport services are inadequate for daily needs and tourism development. In some remote mountain regions, this is one of the reasons why there is a considerable amount of car traffic, especially on weekends, public holidays and during rush hours. There are various reasons for this, including the high cost of public transport solutions due to low population density, inadequate public transport options (such as timetables, accessibility, connectivity, travel time and costs) and political and social preferences in favour of private motorised transport.

2030 Winter Olympics in Nice

Switzerland’s idea of decentralised, sustainable games has been rejected by the IOC. Instead, the French Mediterranean city of Nice is very likely to be awarded the contract.

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.

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.

Alpine Compass: Youth for quality of life in the Alps

[Project completed] How to improve the life quality of young people in the Alps? The project “Alpine Compass” empowers young people, raises awareness among decisionmakers and strengthen the transnational collaboration.

Via Alpina Youth – walking the change

The Via Alpina long-distance-trail has been connecting all of the Alpine countries for over 20 years now. The project “Via Alpina Youth – walking the change” spreads knowledge, ideas and opportunities on sustainable lifestyles, inclusion, environmental protection and climate change along the trail.

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.

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.

EUROPARC Conference 2022: Climate Change, Resilient Parks!

The EUROPARC Federation and the Fédération des Réserves Naturelles Catalanes (FRNC) are honoured to invite you to France for the EUROPARC annual conference and General Assembly. This year’s edition will focus on Climate Change Adaptation in and around Protected Areas. Throughout the program and with the help of experienced practitioners, experts and researchers, we will seek to better understand: How will climate change affect Protected Areas and their surroundings? How to assess their vulnerability? How to prepare ourselves collectively to adapt for the future? The EUROPARC Conference is the biggest gathering of Protected Area professionals in Europe. Hosted every year in a different location in Europe, this year will take place in Argelès-sur-Mer, France. Find out who are the organisers and supporters that have made this conference possible.

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.

Ecological and community areas

With its ecological commons zone (“Zone d'écologie communale”, ZEC), the Free Quarter of Lentillères in Dijon/F invents a legal tool to legalise land occupation and thus prevent construction.

Using less soil

Puy-Saint-André in the French Alps has reduced the buildable municipal area by confiscating "ownerless" land, is saving space thanks to community housing projects and promoting the supply of local food by means of pasture associations.