Representatives from the Mountaineering Villages gathered in the Slovenian village of Luče for their 16th Annual Meeting from 31 May to 2 June 2024.
The meeting was centred around the topic of “Alpine heritage”, showcasing local and regional culture, exchanging ideas, experiences, and best practices. The Mountaineering Villages are a pillar of the sustainable approach to preserving cultural values, traditional crafts and customs, architecture, and ways of life that have evolved over the centuries. They are also a space for innovations and developments in these areas.
Speakers highlighted the important role of cultural and other heritage for local communities, since this underpins a community’s identity, traditions, and dynamics. They also underlined the need to allow each generation to create their interpretations of such heritage, as culture needs to evolve and live.
The participants were able to experience Luče’s diverse cultural and natural heritage with all their senses: by seeing the town and examples of unique craftsmanship, by tasting local dishes and drinks, by listening to the world heritage listed local men’s choir and other music, and by feeling the beautiful natural surroundings during excursions.
“The Mountaineering Villages are certainly a special implementation project for us. Their vision of a more sustainable form of tourism, a flourishing Alpine culture and linguistic heritage, and a good quality of life is the best example of how to put the Alpine Convention into practice!” said Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj in her opening words.
The Secretary General also praised the show of solidarity among the Villages following devastating floods that affected Luče and its surroundings, as well as throughout the neighbouring regions in Slovenia and Austria in August last year.
Other important guests at the meeting included Nataša Bratina, Director-General in the Slovenian Ministry for Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Klavdij Strmčnik, Mayor of the Municipality of Luče, Jože Rovan, President of the Slovenian Alpine Association, and Wolfgang Schnabl, President of the Austrian Alpine Club.
