VIA ALPINA: promoting the natural and cultural heritage of the Alps on a network of hiking trails
The project consists in establishing Via Alpina as the first identified hiking route linking the eight Alpine countries: Italy, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Monaco. The trail network links sites of high natural and cultural value throughout the Alps and emphasises the common Alpine identity. Multilingual tools are developed to insure its efficient promotion and provide the international public with an entry to each of the Alpine regions. Pilot projects are carried out to look into possible developments of sustainable tourism offers and trail management with a trans-national perspective. Via Alpina is a powerful instrument for sustainable development of the mountain regions, both as a tourism product with local economic impact and as a prestigious showcase for the Alpine environment.