The Swiss canton of Valais, deep in the Alps in the southwest of the country, boasts a staggering 51 peaks that rise above 4,000 meters in altitude, among them the Dufour, the highest in Switzerland. It is also the place where the Rhône River is born, the most important of the great rivers of Central […]
Alps
Posted inScience
In 1787 a Scientist Cut the Summit of Mont Blanc, Which Is Now Displayed in a Museum
The Teylers Museum in Haarlem is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, founded in 1778. Its collection includes fossils, coins, minerals, scientific instruments, and a selection of paintings by famous artists such as Michelangelo, Ribera, Claude Lorrain, and Guercino, among others. However, the most curious piece on display at the Teylers Museum is the one […]
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
A Monumental Iron Age Necropolis, with 2.40-Meter-High Stelae and Objects Inlaid with Amber, Discovered in the Center of Trento
The discovery of a monumental necropolis on Santa Croce Street, in the heart of Trento (northern Italy), has opened a new chapter in the archaeological research of the Alpine region. This discovery, of great historical and scientific significance, raises new questions about funerary practices and the forms of self-representation of the communities that inhabited this […]
Posted inArchaeology, Science
An Exceptional Fossil Lost World, 280 Million Years Old, Found in the Italian Alps as Glacier Snow Recedes
In an unprecedented discovery, an exceptional paleontological site has emerged from the mountains of the Orobie Valtellinesi Park in the Italian Alps. The fossils, preserved in delicate layers of sandstone and clay for 280 million years, reveal a complete Paleozoic-era ecosystem. This unique window into the past has been made possible by climate change, which […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
The Highest Prehistoric Petroglyphs in Europe, Found in the Alps of Lombardy
The Lombardy region has been the site of an exceptional archaeological discovery: a series of petroglyphs found on Pizzo Tresero (Valfurva) within the Stelvio National Park at over 3,000 meters, making them the highest petroglyphs found in Europe and providing new clues about human presence in mountainous areas since ancient times. The discovery began in […]
Posted inFirst World War
White Friday: The Avalanches That Buried Thousands of Soldiers in the Alps in World War I
Many people are eagerly watching the calendar, awaiting the arrival of Black Friday on November to take advantage of tempting deals, even if it means braving the crowds to do so. But, while each year we laugh at the videos circulating of these scuffles, the truth is that the White Friday was much worse. Unlike […]
Posted inFirst World War, Second World War
The Spectacular Fort Built by the Italians Atop Mount Chaberton in the Alps is the Highest in Europe
Located at 3,130 meters above sea level at the summit of Mount Chaberton in the Cerces Massif of the French Alps, the fortified complex known as the Chaberton Battery is the highest military fort in Europe. Built between 1898 and 1910 by the Kingdom of Italy, it played a relevant, though brief, role during World […]
Posted inSecond World War
Battle of the Alps: The Failed Italian Attempt to Invade Southern France in 1940
At midnight on June 11, 1940, Italy declared war on France. This was something that had been anticipated for some time, despite a certain level of German discontent (Hitler saw the transalpine country as a more effective ally if it remained non-belligerent and feared this could disrupt his peace negotiations with the French and British), […]
Posted inScience
Oldest Alpine Fossil Reptile Found to Be Partly a Fake
A fossil that has baffled scientists for decades has been unmasked as a partial fake, according to a new study. The fossil, known as Tridentinosaurus antiquus, was discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931 and was considered a crucial specimen for understanding the evolution of early reptiles. Initially, it was believed that the fossil showed […]
Posted inGeography, Science
The Sphinx Astronomical Observatory is the Highest Altitude Building in Europe
The spectacular Piz Gloria is a revolving restaurant built on the summit of Schilthorn in the Swiss Alps, at an altitude of 2,970 meters. One of the sections of the Eiger Ultra Trail passes through there, a race held every July as part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, covering a distance of 101 kilometers with […]
