Despite rising temperatures and doubts about profitability, some Alpine regions are building new winter sports facilities. But who will pay the bill?
Slovenia
The North Face of the Eiger in the Bernese Oberland is an inspiration for every mountaineer. A new railway project is now intended to make the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains even more accessible. Swiss environmental groups are, however, critical of the project.
Energy-efficient building methods and renovation are by no means utopian. How will such projects look? What needs to be done? A workshop in Idrija, Slovenia in October 2014 will provide the answers.
The Thermal Center Snovik was the winner of one of the seven prizes in CIPRA’s cc.alps competition for its activities . We met the director Ivan Hribar.
Collecting what was released into the wild fifty years ago is the order of the day in the Gran Paradiso and Triglav National Parks, where the fish species introduced have had serious effects on the natural environment.
News
Virtually everyone was there. Idrija's festival hall was packed to the rafters, and the youth symphony orchestra summoned specially for the occasion was in full flow. There was plenty of drama, and the TV people were there, too. A murmur went through the 1,000-strong audience as they got to their feet and began clapping. Then a large burly man in a dark suit walked onto to the stage. Deep creases bracketed his laughing mouth like waterfalls, stretching up to his white temples. Bojan Sever, the major of the small Slovenian town in the alpine foothills, held aloft the certificate confirming their status as Alpine Town of the Year 2011. Cameras flashed and the applause redoubled. That was just over a year ago.
The proposal was made by Slovenia's Ministry of Economic Affairs just before the summer break. Five hydroelectric power plants are to be built on the Soča river and its tributaries, the Ucja and Idrijca.