The Alps

The Alps

“More than Mountains”

After five months of exploring the Alps, I thought I’d reflect on what makes them so special.

Unlike other mountain ranges like as the Rockies, the Alps have relatively few true wilderness areas. You’re rarely far from a farm, hut or village, and you’re likely to encounter other people when you are biking or hiking. But what makes the Alps so special is the combination of outdoor adventures and cultural experiences. There aren’t many places in the world where you can hike to a spectacular pass or summit, enjoy an amazing lunch at a mountain hut, and spend the night in a centuries-old farming village.

What makes the Alps even more special is the way local communities have preserved their cultural identities and traditions, from the traditional wooden chalets and  folk music of the Austrian Tyrol to the working farms and traditional dishes of Slovenia.

One of the things we’ve appreciated most about exploring the Alps is the way Europeans embrace the outdoors. We’ve been struck by how much time families spend hiking and enjoying the mountains together. And it’s not uncommon to have lunch at a crowded mountain hut without seeing a single person using their phone.

I’ve often wondered whether this reflects something broader about European society. Having lived close to the Alps many years ago and now having spent an additional 5 months traveling through it, my theory is that the social safety net that most Europeans have, including affordable education and healthcare, give people a greater sense of security and more freedom to enjoy life. When people have fewer worries about some of life’s basic necessities, perhaps they have more time and energy to spend with family and friends and appreciate the world around them.