INSIGHTS: ALPS

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The Alps are a highly significant part of European geography, stretching across five countries, where accessibility and types of Alpine territory vary significantly. Germany is only home to the beginning of the Alps, while Italy has numerous significant peaks, but the vast majority are inaccessible, and French infrastructure has not developed sufficiently either. Switzerland can provide satisfactory scenery and infrastructure, but costs there are significantly higher. However, Austria offers the best combination of these advantages. The Austrian Alps have extraordinary scenery with countless snowy peaks, stunning panoramas, mirror-like lakes, lush forests and green valleys, which have inspired a diverse range of films using them as a significant locations to define either the atmosphere of the entire film or certain key scenes. Nature is highly valued by Austrians and sport is their main form of connecting with it on a regular basis, making it part of their national identity. This is the reason why their infrastructure is so highly developed, making most areas of Austrian nature easily accessible, resulting in the Austrian Alps becoming a key site for the global community of both winter sports and extreme sports.