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Voices along the Via Alpina

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

Creative spaces for change

Inspire and empower: culture plays an essential role in the transition to an environmentally and socially just society. The second international meeting of the Erasmus+ project CultureAlps in Rovereto, Italy, at the end of March showed exactly what this can look like.

Point of view: Holidays have a lasting impact

Holidays mean time out, a change of scenery, relaxation. But where and how we spend our holidays doesn’t just affect us; it also has an impact on other people, regions, the climate and nature. Magdalena Holzer, project manager at CIPRA International, is convinced that travelling is a decision that brings with it with great responsibility.

Climate risks: better to prepare than to wait

Early warning systems for heavy rainfall, prediction models for droughts: the MultiBios project, completed in April 2025, saw biosphere parks from German-speaking countries sharing their experiences in dealing with climate risks. A research team investigated their role in natural hazard management.

Innovation to counter emigration

Emigration and the brain drain in the Alpine region: a new EU project involving CIPRA aims to counteract this trend. It is testing innovative governance models to strengthen mountain regions and create a win-win situation for regions of origin, destinations and young emigrants.

Good prospects for bearded vultures

Once extinct, now once again native to the Alps: the reintroduction of bearded vultures to the Alpine region has been successful and the population is growing, as a recent study from Switzerland shows. The greatest threat to these birds of prey remains humans.

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.

Caretaker Tourism

The Alpine Climate Board (ACB) is a body of the Alpine Convention that is committed to climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps by 2050, with the “Tourism” pathway also in this sector. Within the framework of “Caretaker Tourism”, certain organizations and individuals assume responsibility for developing climate-friendly and sustainable tourism strategies.

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.

Mindful hiking through snow and silence

A snowshoe hike in the Liechtenstein Alps: under the guidance of a hiking guide, young adults experienced a sustainable form of winter sport, practised mindfulness and raised their environmental awareness.

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.

Working together for the future of the Alps

On the 22nd of January the Slovenian Presidency of the Alpine Convention hosted the Alpine Conference in Brdo/SI. A central theme was the quality of life in the Alpine region, which is also the subject of the tenth Report on the State of the Alps.

AlpWeek 2024 Report

The AlpWeek 2024 Report highlights the main tools and ideas that were discussed during the AlpWeek. It focuses on the three priorities of the Multi-Annual Work Programme (2023–2030) of the Alpine Conference (MAP): Biodiversity, Climate Action, Quality of Life.

Visiting “Utopias” all over the Alps

In 2024, the Via Alpina Youth project inspired young people across the Alps for social, cultural and everyday utopias of sustainability – but above all for shared adventures in the mountains.

Sporting commemoration of a ranger

The 29th edition of the “Danilo Re Memorial” took place from 16 to 19 January 2025 in Scuol in the Swiss National Park. This year, for the first time, CIPRA took part in the international meeting of representatives of Alpine protected areas and organisations.

YOALIN wins climate competition

CIPRA’s project received the Clima Now Foundation’s Spotlight Prize, worth CHF 50,000. YOALIN is committed to climate-friendly travel.

Italy to chair Alpine Convention in 2025

Italy is preparing to chair the Alpine Convention for the period 2025-2026, while Liechtenstein and Austria will co-chair the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) in 2025. Sustainability and cross-border cooperation are the focus of both initiatives.

Point of view: Let’s plan the energy transition and restoration together!

Alpine spatial planning can help to resolve the contradictions between restoration and the expansion of renewable energy. This requires joint efforts involving the interests of the population and environmental organisations, says Paul Kuncio, Executive Director of CIPRA Austria.

Microplastics in the Alps

Plastic pollution continues to threaten our health and our most precious landscapes. The latest findings show that microplastics can even be found on the highest Alpine peaks.

Too much water, too little water: excursion to the Vienna Woods

How do drones detect illegal campfires? How do settlements protect themselves from the next flood? What do forest fires have in common with avalanches? At the end of November 2024, an excursion to the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve by participants in the MultiBios project looked for answers.

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.

FutureForum Alps 2025

“H2O: precious, powerful, scarce”: How is the climate crisis affecting the alpine water resources? What will it take to ensure that we continue to have sufficient water as a habitat and resource in the future? These and other questions will be addressed at the Liechtenstein FutureForum Alps.

Climate Bridges network in action

New momentum for climate protection and cooperation in the Western Balkans: the “Climate Bridges Network in Action” project is launching an action plan to revitalise the newly established Western Balkans network. Together with local organisations, the project partners are developing a wide range of measures for both the environment and the climate.

Agorà on large carnivores

Challenges in managing large carnivores and the role of large carnivore centers

CultureAlps

When art and culture give climate protection a fresh lick of paint: the Erasmus+ project “CultureAlps: connect, share, act!” opens up new ways of climate communication and collaboration.

Webinars for cities and municipalities

The battle for Alpine water

A revival of the hydropower boom: 70 years ago, many Alpine rivers were dammed for the benefit of power stations, while valuable high valleys were built over. Today, new requirements are threatening their ecological functions. In view of the dwindling glaciers and increasing utilisation demands, a distribution battle is looming.

Getting stones rolling

Workshops, excursions, art cards, podcasts: the results of the CIPRA “SteinReich” project, which focused on drystone walls and cairns, are diverse and tangible.

AlpWeek 2024: time for action

A look back, a look forwards: twenty years after the first AlpWeek, the eighth edition of the international conference brought over 200 people to Nova Gorica/SL to discuss what is important in the development of the Alpine region.