20 years – together we have achieved a lot!

Let’s celebrate! – 20 years “Alpine Town of the Year” means 19 award-winning Alpine towns with a very special quality of life and commitment. In Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria and Slovenia, towns and cities have been nominated and awarded for their quality of life and commitment to the implementation of the Alpine Convention over the past 20 years. A great achievement! Congratulations and thanks for your commitment. On the occasion of our proud anniversary, we look back this year and look forward to the future with both joy and excitement.

A lot has happened. Over the past 20 years, awareness of sustainability and quality of life in the Alps has increased greatly in many different ways.

Successful events, commitments & projects of the last 20 years

Each Alpine Town of the Year is obliged to implement at least two sustainable projects during its Alpine Town Year. Here are some examples and successful projects:

• Project Alpstar – Commitment to sustainable energy policy
• Concerts between the Alpine Towns – Idrija Brass Band and Tétras Lyre Orchester Chambéry
• Participation and empowerment of young people: partner projects YSAM, You Turn, Youth Alpine Express
• Current youth project GaYA – Governance & Youth in the Alps
• Meeting of the Youth Parliament 2013 in the Alpine Town of Sonthofen and 2014 in the Alpine Town of Chamonix
• Initiative Dobratsch Nature Park in Villach/A
• “Culinary Alpine Town” Brig-Glis
• Green economy with social responsibility – increased commitment in Tolminand much more.

And yet there is still much to do. It is a matter of preserving and celebrating what is beautiful and achieved. However, it is also important to recognise the rapid developments of the times, to set new accents and to courageously tread new paths.

We are committed to developing and strengthening these paths for a better quality of life and awareness of our regions and cities with much joy and enthusiasm. We are working on our goals and our future with courage, motivation and confidence in the interests of a high quality of life in the Alps and Alpine towns.

At this point we would like to take the opportunity to thank all the people in the Alpine Towns and in our partner organisations who make this adventure possible. We are looking forward to the exciting path we will take together in the coming years.

Thierry Billet, President