Alps Facts

The Alps stretch across much of Europe continent running from France in the west to Austria and Slovenia in the east. Spanning many countries, they are geographically divided into the Western Alps (France, Switzerland and Italy) and the Eastern Alps (Austria, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Italy and Germany).

Image: John Morgan@flickr

Interesting & Fun Facts About Alps

The Alps comprise about 180 mountains, from 1200m to 4800m high.
The division of Western Alps and Eastern Alps is along the line from Lake Constance along the Rhine to Lake Como.
Mont Blanc (4810 m) is the highest peak in the Western Alps, while Piz Bernina (4052 m) is the highest peak in the Eastern Alps. Mont Blanc is also the highest peak in Europe.
Matterhorn is a popular mountain in the Alps. It is shaped like a pyramid and considered tougher to ascent than Mount Blanc because of its steepness and regular avalanches.
Mont Blanc was first ascended by two natives, Jacques Belmat and Dr. Packard, on August 8, 1786. They stayed there for half an hour, with the thermometer several degrees below the freezing point.
On the Alps vine grows to the elevation of 1,600 feet. Below 1000 feet, figs, oranges and olives grow.
Oak grows to 3,800 feet, limit of the chestnut is 2,800 feet, of pine 6,500 feet, and of furze 9,700 feet. Beyond 8,200 feet snow exists perpetually.
Lauterbrunnen region in the Alps abounds with falls, the most remarkable of which is the Staubbach. It falls over the Balm precipice in from the stunning height of 925 feet. Rainbows dance up and down it.
The biggest city in the Alps is Grenoble. The city has about 500,000 inhabitants. The city has the nickname 'The Capital City of Alps'.
Innsbruck in Austria is the second biggest city of the alpine arch.
The Alps are not an impassable barrier and have been traversed for several purposes.
Switzerland is famous the world over for its Alpine scenery. It offers lots of opportunities for tourists like trekking, mountaineering, skiing as well as other adventure sports and winter sports.
Austrian Alps have the world's largest accessible caves in the world. These enormous caves, adorned with frozen stalagmites, are located in the proximity of Werfen.

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