The Youth Alpine Interrail (YOALIN) community gathered in Valposchiavo in Switzerland for the launch event of this year’s edition. From 13-15 June, the young travellers got to know each other, shared experiences, and spoke to experts and stakeholders about various Alpine issues.
The YOALIN cohort was welcomed by Silvia Jost from the Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE, Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj, and Cassiano Luminati, director at Polo Poschiavo, a competence centre for training and development projects.
“This journey is about getting to know the Alps, sharing enthusiasm, and becoming role models for other travellers. Welcome to the Alpine Convention family!” said Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj at the opening of the event.
A panel discussion on tourism, mobility, and regional development brought together the young participants with locals from Valposchiavo and experts from the region: Thomas Compagnoni, a farmer from Poschiavo, Fabiola Monigatti, a representative of the Poschiavo Cultural Commission, Renato Fasciati, Director of the Rhaetian Railway RhB. Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj took part.
The rest of the weekend was dedicated to experiencing the region through excursions. One was an agricultural tour of the ‘100% Valposchiavo’ project and label including insights into the variety of farm products made in the valley and the valley’s unique climate combining mediterranean and alpine. The other was a city tour of Poschiavo and a visit to the 675-year-old Casa Tomé experiential museum. A final excursion took some of the participants to the Glacier Gardens in Cavaglia, a unique landscape shaped by ancient glaciers.
YOALIN is a project of the CIPRA Youth Council and CIPRA International that started in 2018 and is an implementation project of the Alpine Convention. It enables 150 selected young people to travel sustainably across the Alps by means of public transport in the summer.
We asked two former YOALIN participants what they appreciated about the initiative:
Agnese Moroni from Italy: “While we often learn about cultural events online and through social media, true cultural experiences also come from spontaneity. They are best discovered by walking in the streets, observing, listening, and engaging with local residents.”
Nicolas Rodigari from Italy: “YOALIN gives you a whole new perspective on the meaning and impacts of your travelling. To choose a train instead of a plane makes you more grounded to the geography of the region you are travelling through: when flying, it feels like you are just teleported to your destination.”