Good Practices
The “Hofgemeinschaft Ratzenbergli”
A social and local project around biodynamic agriculture in the Bernese hills
Hiking as an act of research and environmental responsibility
Connecting young people to alpine environments through research and practical activities
Creative against invasive
Making plant paper from invasive neophytes
A mountain holiday
Taking young people who do not go on holiday to discover rock climbing in the Southern Alps
Discovering Via Alpina in Valle Stretta
The Via Alpina passes through a border area between Italy and France. Valle Stretta can be accessed from Badonecchia, one of the few Italian Alpine locations connected by rail. In a short time, you can travel from the center of Turin to the high mountains, discovering vastly different landscapes, as well as the challenges and opportunities of the region.
Boundaries between nature, community and lived utopias
On the weekend of September 13th and 14th, the Dachverband für Natur- und Umweltschutz Südtirol, in its role as CIPRA South Tyrol, went on a hike through the South Tyrolean Alps together with eleven young adults. During the excursion, they visited the lived utopia Vergissmeinnicht (“Forget-me-not”) and later held an in-depth conversation with the director of the Bruneck Art Workshop.
Stone up - let's preserve our heritage!
Dry stone walling represents the intangible heritage of mankind, a unique adaptation of communities to the challenges of the environment and nature, an important component of the landscape and identity. Despite its uniqueness, however, the skills of dry stone walling are dying out.
Walking the Line: A Borderless Utopia on the Egger Alm
A group of young hikers and their mentors—many languages and nationalities—discovering how history, nature, and community intersect along a line drawn on a map.
Filme für die Erde: A Pop-up Cinema Evening in Schaan
CIPRA International and Con.voi / Verein Neuraum
Hike at the Marinet Glacier at St-Paul-sur-Ubaye
Discovering the glaciers on the Via Alpina - An opportunity to present this path that crosses the entire Alps, while at the same time bringing the young participants face-to-face with the impacts of climate change on our landscapes.
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.
Sharing Biodiversity on a Micro-Farm
A farmhouse in Canton Appenzell, Switzerland, surrounded by 3 hectares of land, aims to create a diverse, open-minded, and peaceful space.
Women as mountain rescuers
What skills do women have as mountain rescuers and why are they underrepresented? Young people discussed this with mountain rescuer Veronika Šenk during a "Visit Utopia" in the Slovenian Alps in July 2024.
Paths to sustainable agriculture
The first Utopia hike organised by the umbrella organisation for nature and environmental protection in its function as CIPRA South Tyrol took place on Wednesday, 7 August 2024. On this occasion, the functioning utopia of organic vegetable cultivation in the Puster Valley was visited on two farms.
Never again: Racism in nature conservation
How to counter nationalist ideologies in nature conservation: A workshop organized by CIPRA Germany and an excursion to Obersalzberg/D in September 2024 tackled this topic.
Sunny Hills of Istria, a sustainable living culture
A little ecovillage community in slovenian istria which is not only speaking about sustainability and regenerative lifestyle, but living it through four dimensions of sustainability and permaculture (ecological, economical, social and cultural).
From devastated forest to an art platform
In just a few minutes, the storm destroyed large parts of a centuries-old forest. We reflect on the consequences of climate change.
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.
Untamed river
Free flowing rivers, along with their ever-changing landscape, river course and bank structure, are a precious rarity in the Alps. One of the last ones is the Friederlaine. A group of young environmentalists explored the hidden gem in the German Alps.
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.
The best idea wins
Kindergarten, after-school care, flats for senior citizens, surgeries, village shop and family café: how the German municipality of Schwabsoien revived a vacant inn in the village centre with an urban development competition.
Stop to second homes
The Swiss popular initiative "Stop the rampant construction of second homes!" limits the proportion of second homes in municipalities in order to curb urban sprawl.
Shaping the community together
The German municipality of Ingenried shows how local residents and young people in particular can work together to develop a concept for village development.
Roads on a diet
Carinthia/A relies on unsealing and is narrowing kilometres of federal roads. Now they are flanked by green strips and cycle paths.
Remain rural and affordable
How the German municipality of Weyarn, close to the city, protects its soil, promotes affordable housing and creates a higher quality of life.
Rebuild instead of build
The Austrian municipality of Zwischenwasser on the edge of the Rhine valley is rebuilding instead of building – and doing so at the highest architectural level.
Making vacancies visible
The "Plattform Land" draws attention to vacancies in South Tyrolean pilot communities and shows how they can make good use of empty properties.
Lively mountain village
The village of Valendas in the Swiss canton of Graubünden shows how citizens can revive their village architecturally and culturally.
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.
Climate-fit mountain regions
The "AdaPT Mont-Blanc" project uses a digital toolbox to show what measures are available for adapting to climate change at the spatial planning level.