UNESCO World Heritage Site Jungfrau-Aletsch

Interlaken lies at the foot of the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn Region, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The region is centred around the famous three peaks Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Surrounding them, this protected area stretches out over a surface area of more than 824 square kilometres. Around 90 percent of this is covered with ice and rock.

The 23 World Heritage member municipalities have a total population of around 35,000. The region covers parts of the cantons Bern and Valais. The natural landscape is increasingly coming under pressure due to rising population density and technical progress. When winter tourism took hold in Switzerland around 150 years ago, a construction boom in mountain railways and tourism-related infrastructure set in. Today, the Bernese and Valais Alps are popular excursion destinations. The famous Jungfraujoch takes centre stage in the World Heritage landscape. Europe’s highest railway station is situated on the ridge connecting the Mönch (4107 m.a.s.l) and the Jungfrau (4158 m.a.s.l) at 3466 metres above sea level. Every year, the “Top of Europe” attracts just under one million visitors from all over the world. The Schilthorn, the Kleine Scheidegg at the foot of the Eiger North Face and the Risihorn, the ‘home’ mountain of the village of Bellwald, are just three other peaks that can be reached by mountain railway or cableway. All activities in the Jungfrau-Aletsch Region share one thing in common – majestic panoramic views of the surrounding Alpine landscape.
The Great Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, has its source just below the Jungfraujoch at Concordia, a flat expanse of snow and ice. The effects of climate change are markedly apparent here: the Aletsch Glacier has withdrawn by around 3 kilometres since 1870. For this reason, UNESCO is working closely with the municipalities to create sustainable economic development that impacts the glacier as little as possible. The overarching aim is to preserve the flora and fauna of the glacial landscape. One important factor in sustainable development is raising the awareness of residents and guests to the related issues. To this end, the World Nature Forum (WNF) opened in Naters, canton Valais, in September 2016. The visitor centre features an interactive exhibition about the World Heritage region. In addition to this, forums and panel discussions on topics such as natural and cultural heritage in relation to sustainability are held at the study and congress centre in Naters.

This shows you how fascinating and varied the area around Interlaken is. If you intend to discuss sustainability at your next event, we recommend a visit to Interlaken. The opportunities you will find here to demonstrate this issue in a natural context are numerous. We look forward to working with you!