The Alps are a crescent shaped geographic feature of central Europe that ranges in an 800km (500mi) arc (curved line) from east to west and is 200km (120mi) in width. The mean height of the mountain peaks is 2.5km (1.6mi). [15] The range stretches from the Mediterranean Sea north above the Po basin, extending through France from Grenoble, and stretching eastward through mid and southern Switzerland. The range continues onward toward Vienna, Austria, and southeast to the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia. [16] [17] [18] Sharp, Hilary. (2002). Trekking and Climbing in the Western Alps. London: New Holland. ISBN 978-0-8117-2954-3 Another great train line is the one from Andermatt to Disentis. For example the Matterhorn-Gotthard line takes you past countless tunnels, beautiful mountains and great Swiss villages. The highlight is when the train passes the Oberalp Pass with the large Oberalpsee. Unlike the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express, no reservations are necessary here. The three most beautiful hikes in the Swiss Alps Warrant, Eric; Frost, Barrie; Green, Ken; Mouritsen, Henrik; Dreyer, David; Adden, Andrea; Brauburger, Kristina; Heinze, Stanley (2016). "The Australian Bogong Moth Agrotis infusa: A Long-Distance Nocturnal Navigator". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 10. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00077. ISSN 1662-5153.

Many people hike from “ Grindelwald First” to Bachalpsee. This hike is beautiful, but only a few know that another pearl awaits you on the other side in direction to the Grosse Scheidegg. Passing cows, green meadows and a permanent panorama over the Swiss Alps and their glaciers, you hike from Grindelwald First to Grosse Scheidegg in around 2 hours. You can return to Grindelwald by bus. Conclusion The Great St Bernard Hospice, built in the 9th or 10th centuries, at the summit of the Great Saint Bernard Pass was a shelter for humans and destination for pilgrims. [118] In 1291, to protect themselves from incursions by the House of Habsburg, four Alpine cantons drew up the Federal Charter of 1291, which is considered to be a declaration of independence from neighboring kingdoms. After a series of battles fought in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, more cantons joined the confederacy and by the 16th century, Switzerland was established as a sovereign state. [119] Kala, C.P. and Ratajc, P. 2012. "High altitude biodiversity of the Alps and the Himalayas: ethnobotany, plant distribution and conservation perspective". Biodiversity and Conservation, 21 (4): 1115–1126. Between 430 and 400 BC prolonged warfare in the Alps resulted in the devastation of agricultural land and human settlements, ultimately triggering the enslavement of men, women, and children, goods had to be imported as a result. The Etruscan civilization responded to raids by the Massalia and acquired absolute control over the Alpine trade routes. Aggressors in modern-day Italy were dealt with and an alliance was formed with the Celts. The grip of the Etruscan settlements broke down, as the Roman political system expanded, so as to take control over Alpine trade routes that connected human settlements in the Alps with settlements in the Mediterranean. [110] Within the Eastern Alps, the most widely used subdivision is the Alpine Club's 1984 classification, which divides the region into about seventy small areas.The largest mammal to live in the highest altitudes are the alpine ibex, which have been sighted as high as 3,000m (9,800ft). The ibex live in caves and descend to eat the succulent alpine grasses. [94] Classified as antelopes, [12] chamois are smaller than ibex and found throughout the Alps, living above the tree line and are common in the entire alpine range. [95] Areas of the eastern Alps are still home to brown bears. In Switzerland the canton of Bern was named for the bears but the last bear is recorded as having been killed in 1792 above Kleine Scheidegg by three hunters from Grindelwald. [96] Formation of the Australian Alps was largely complete by around 100 million years ago, but during the past 90 million years, a number of minor uplift episodes have occurred, with occasional eruptions of basalt lava from small volcanoes, which has flowed across the landscape and down some of the valleys, filling in the low-lying areas to form the flat landscapes of these high plains. The col du Mont-Cenis (2,081m (6,827ft)) at the centre left of the picture gives access to a large alpine lake, and further away to the Italian peninsula 12 kilometres (7.5mi) beyond the pass. Was die Tunnelbauer im Gotthard antrafen". Tages-Anzeiger (graphical animation) (in German). Zurich. April 1, 2016 . Retrieved May 11, 2016. Zermatt in Switzerland is one of the most beautiful mountain villages in the Swiss Alps. With the Matterhorn, the 5 Lakes Trail, the village with its wooden chalets and many insider tips, Zermatt Switzerland is hard to beat for its charm. It is not without reason that it is one of the most famous places in the world. There are also great wellness hotels and ingenious Swiss food such as raclette, which comes from the canton of Valais.

Geology of the Australian alps" (PDF). p.1 . Retrieved 30 November 2013. The Australian Alps are the highest part of a larger entity, the Eastern Highlands of Australia... Main article: Geography of the Alps The Alps extend in an arc from France in the south and west to Slovenia in the east, and from Monaco in the south to Germany in the north.

By the way, did you know that the Alps are the most densely populated mountain range in the world with a total of 11 million people? In addition, there are of course millions of tourists and day trippers every year who enjoy the nature of the Alps and go on great hikes and excursions. The influence of humans in the Swiss Alps Zampieri, Matteo; Scoccimarro, Enrico; Gualdi, Silvio; Navarra, Antonio (January 15, 2015). "Observed shift towards earlier spring discharge in the main Alpine rivers". Science of the Total Environment. Towards a better understanding of the links between stressors, hazard assessment and ecosystem services under water scarcity. 503–504: 222–232. Bibcode: 2015ScTEn.503..222Z. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.036. hdl: 2122/9055. PMID 25005239. Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA7) regions and codes". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Commonwealth of Australia. 2012 . Retrieved 13 January 2013.

According to geologist Stefan Schmid, because the Western Alps underwent a metamorphic event in the Cenozoic Era while the Austroalpine peaks underwent an event in the Cretaceous Period, the two areas show distinct differences in nappe formations. [44] Flysch deposits in the Southern Alps of Lombardy probably occurred in the Cretaceous or later. [44] Davos is one of the largest settlements in the Alps of Switzerland and is known for the World Economic Forum Davos (WEF Davos), which is usually held in Davos every year. Besides the super wellness hotels, the destination has one of the most unique and diverse landscapes in our country. From green and light blue lakes to great views over the mountains, waterfalls or traditional Walser villages, there is so much to discover here. Snow play on Victoria's slopes". australia.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012 . Retrieved 25 January 2016. Above the forestry, there is often a band of short pine trees ( Pinus mugo), which is in turn superseded by Alpenrosen, dwarf shrubs, typically Rhododendron ferrugineum (on acid soils) or Rhododendron hirsutum (on alkaline soils). [85] Although Alpenrose prefers acidic soil, the plants are found throughout the region. [12] Above the tree line is the area defined as "alpine" where in the alpine meadow plants are found that have adapted well to harsh conditions of cold temperatures, aridity, and high altitudes. The alpine area fluctuates greatly because of regional fluctuations in tree lines. [86] Edelweiss ( Leontopodium alpinum)The Alps have been crossed for war and commerce, and by pilgrims, students and tourists. Crossing routes by road, train, or foot are known as passes, and usually consist of depressions in the mountains in which a valley leads from the plains and hilly pre-mountainous zones. [24]

In the high villages, people live in homes built according to medieval designs that withstand cold winters. The kitchen is separated from the living area (called the stube, the area of the home heated by a stove), and second-floor bedrooms benefit from rising heat. The typical Swiss chalet originated in the Bernese Oberland. Chalets often face south or downhill and are built of solid wood, with a steeply gabled roof to allow accumulated snow to slide off easily. Stairs leading to upper levels are sometimes built on the outside, and balconies are sometimes enclosed. [155] [156] Herding sheep in Austria Mount Bogong, with its peak at 1986 m above sea level, is the highest peak in Victoria. The surrounding Bogong High Plains is one of the largest areas of snow country in Australia. It includes the leading resorts of Falls Creek and Mount Hotham. [17] Recreational and practical skiing was being practised in the Victorian Alps by the 1880s and 1890s with skis made from local timbers, and making use of single steering poles. [18] Skiing began at Mount Buffalo in the 1890s, and a chalet was constructed in 1910. Australia's first ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo in 1936. [19] With some exceptions, the Alps north of Rhône and Rhine are part of the Helvetic Zone and those on the south side are part of the Penninic nappes. The Austroalpine zone concerns almost only the Eastern Alps, with the notable exception of the Matterhorn. The Alps provide lowland Europe with drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. [64] Although the area is only about 11% of the surface area of Europe, the Alps provide up to 90% of water to lowland Europe, particularly to arid areas and during the summer months. Cities such as Milan depend on 80% of water from Alpine runoff. [16] [65] [66] Water from the rivers is used in at least 550 hydroelectricity power plants, considering only those producing at least 10MW of electricity. [67]

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The Alps is found in the following countries: Austria (28.7% of the range's area), Italy (27.2%), France (21.4%), Switzerland (13.2%), Germany (5.8%), Slovenia (3.6%), Liechtenstein (0.08%) and Monaco (0.001%). [19] Aerial view of the Pennine Alps, the second-highest range of the Alps The Swiss Alps is known for glaciers, containing around 1,800 glaciers. The region’s glaciers include the longest glacier in the Alps: the Aletsch Glacier. Additional Facts: The Subalpine zone is the region that lies below the tree line. It is the most important region as it is the largest of the three and contains almost all human settlements as well as the productive areas. The forests are mainly composed of conifers above 1,200–1,400 meters, the deciduous tree forest is confined to lower elevations. The upper limit of the Subalpine zone is located at about 1,800 meters on the north side of the Alps and about 2,000 meters on the south side. It can, however, differ in some regions such as the Appenzell Alps (1,600 meters) or the Engadin valley (2,300 meters). Lakes, like Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, Como in Italy and Constance in Germany are renowned for their beauty. But not all the lakes here are natural. Some are man-made reservoirs for dams that provide hydroelectric power to towns and cities. It is not possible to define the Alps geologically, since the same orogenous events that created the Alps also created neighbouring ranges such as the Carpathians (see also geology of the Alps). The Alps are a distinct physiographic province of the larger Alpine System physiographic division, but the Alps are composed of three distinct physiographic sections, the Eastern, Western and Southern Alps.