Past Events
Final Event in Bern/CH
The final event of Yoalin 2025 took place in Bern on October 24–25, bringing together young alpine explorers from across the region. After arriving on Friday, participants enjoyed a lively Pub Quiz filled with fun questions about Yoalin, mobility, and tourism.
Saturday kicked off with an exciting treasure hunt through Bern, followed by inspiring discussions on population and culture in the Alpine area. In the afternoon, five thematic workshops invited ideas for the future of Yoalin, the next edition, sustainable transport as mainstream, and tackling the last-mile challenge. The evening celebration at the Alpine Museum crowned the event, featuring the Yoalin contest award ceremony and enchanting harp music—with the harp itself traveling from Singen (DE) to Bern by train, of course! A wonderful atmosphere and rich exchange marked a memorable closing to Yoalin 2025.
Meetups with ambassadors
This summer’s Yoalin MeetUps brought travellers together across the Alps. In July, Elise led a hike in Bohinj with cheese-making, animal encounters (including a surprise lama!) and a swim in Lake Bohinj.
In August, Agnese and Felix guided Yoaliners from Brenner to Sattelberg, enjoying perfect weather, berries, mushrooms and talks about the Brenner Base Tunnel.
In September, Gaia hosted a cozy MeetUp in Sueglio with a short hike, shared dinner and an overnight stay at the welcoming community house “La Casa di Sueglio.” Thanks to all who joined and the ambassadors for organising this exchange!
Kick-off Event in Poschiavo/CH
From June 14–16, the YOALIN community met in Poschiavo, Switzerland, to launch the 2025 season. Travellers, ambassadors, and organisers came together to share plans, exchange ideas, and explore themes of sustainable travel and Alpine culture.
Highlights included a warm welcome at the town hall, cultural visits to local artisans and producers, a hike through the stunning Glacier Gardens in Cavaglia, and a panel discussion on sustainable tourism with regional leaders and Alpine experts.
A big thank you to all who made this inspiring weekend possible – the YOALIN adventure is officially underway!
Meetup: Cuneo Mountain Festival
YOALIN was honored to take part in the Cuneo Mountain Festival on 10 May 2025, where we hosted an engaging workshop on sustainable travel. Together with participants, we explored the cultural richness of the Alpine region — from local cuisine and vibrant events to UNESCO heritage sites. The festival in Cuneo fostered meaningful dialogue and connection, thanks to the inspiring contributions of young attendees and the dedicated YOALIN ambassadors. We’re deeply grateful to the Cuneo Mountain Festival for creating a space that celebrates youth, sustainability, and community.
Spotlight Award
YOALIN received the Spotlight Prize from the Clima Now foundation at the end of October 2024. Our ambassadors Isabella and Louise did an amazing pitch of our project and convinced the jury. “Travel is the biggest problem when it comes to sustainability in tourism,” said jury member Beth Thoren, Director of Environmental Action EMEA at Patagonia. “We believe that people’s mindsets need to change in order to make a difference. We need people to convince other people to convince politicians.” This is how she explained the choice of YOALIN as the winner of the competition.
We are so honored to have been given the chance to pitch YOALIN at the Kraftwerk in Zürich and it’s a confirmation and great motivation to continue working on the vision of climate-friendly travel as mainstream.
AlpWeek 2024
Twenty years after the first AlpWeek, the eighth edition of the international conference brought over 200 people to Nova Gorica/SL to discuss what is important for the development of the Alpine region. A group of Yoaliners was invited to take part. On Monday we organised a screening of the documentary “ACTIVIST”, which was produced by former Yoalin Tutur, who was there for a discussion afterwards. He talked about how the film was made and what the intentions were behind it. The documentary sheds a light on people who are active and shows the audience, that there are many paths and possibilities, and that different approaches are needed to master the complexities of challenges of our times.
In addition to presentations and keynote speeches the AlpWeek offered participants nine sessions on a wide range of topics in which they could get involved. One session, organised by CIPRA, was about balancing the quality of tourist experience with quality of life. Yoaliners were invited to bring a picture and a thought on this topic.
At the end of the four days of the AlpWeek, the participants left with a new sense of responsibility and the inspiration to contribute to the ongoing efforts to preserve the Alps.
Meetups 2024
There were five MeetUps from August to November 2024, that our ambassadors organised. Gaia met some Yoalin travellers at lake Como/IT, Julija invited some travellers to Vaduz/LI, Maxime met a group of Yoaliners in Torino/IT and during the AlpWeek in Nova Gorica/SL Élise and Polona went for a picnic and a walk along the Soča river. Last but not least Øyunn invited Yoaliners to Freiburg im Breisgau/DE.
Kick Off 2024
June 2024
Ljubljana & Krvavec / Slovenia
The start of this year’s edition lead us again to Slovenia! After meeting for dinner in Ljubljana, we had an adventurous bus journey along a winding road to Krvavec the next morning. We stayed at “Brunarica Sonček”, an organic farm at the foot of a ski resort. The young organic farmer spoke enthusiastically about his farm and his innovative approaches. He explained how important it is as a mountain farmer to build up various sources of income and secure a livelihood.
The kick-off event had even more to offer: Joint travel planning, locating favourite places on a map of the Alps, giving other travellers tips and tricks and learning more about why a small footprint is important.
Final Event 2023
October 2023 Bern / Switzerland What a weekend we spent in Bern for our closing event of this year’s YOALIN edition. More than 50 people – travellers and ambassadors, organisers and supporters – came together to share memories of their journeys, talk about climate friendly travel, spin new ideas for the project and to just have fun together with games, silly dances, food & drinks and a dip in the Aare river. Thanks to all participants for joining us and the Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE for the generous invitation!
Kick Off 2023
June 2023
Bohinj / Slovenia
We started this year’s edition of YOALIN for the first time in beautiful Slovenia! We met some ambassadors in Nova Gorica and cycled along the existing rail connection with missing railway service to Gorizia (IT). We used project syngeries with the PRC (Soča Valley Development Centre) and talked with representatives about the importance of functioning, crossborder train connections to Italy and around the Alps.
On Saturday all of the 50 participants got to know each other, heard about the project and exciting travel stories from our ambassadors. Some travel planning was not to be missed as well, and we had lots of fun in the afternoon with a scavenger hunt. Kayaking, SUP and biking on and around the Bohinj lake on Sunday was the perfect finish for the event.
Final event 2022
October 2022
Bern / Switzerland
This year’s edition of YOALIN found a perfect finish in the beautiful city of Bern. More than 50 Yoalin travellers, ambassadors and organisers came together to explore the city, talk about their experiences during the summer and to discuss important topics like mobility and climate protection. We had loads of fun and games, great talks and exchanges and good food and thank especially the Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) for co-organising and hosting the event.
Kick Off 2022
24-26 June 2022
Landeck / Austria
Over 50 Yoalin travellers and ambassadors met from Friday to Saturday In Landeck to get to know each other, learn more about the project and get some idas and inspirations for their travels. After arriving and having dinner on Friday evening, Stephan Tischler from CIPRA Austria / university of Innsbruck gave an input on Mobility in the Alps, folowed by a lively discussion. Saturday morning the organisers gave important information on the project and CIPRAs work. Then the travellers got to know each other a bit better with speed friending. After lunch people could meet at country tables to get inputs and help for their travel planning. Afterwards there was a treasure hunt through Landeck. In the evening, the governor of Tirol, Günther Platter, handed over the 50 Yoalin tickets, which they sponsored, at the ARGE ALP festivities in the city centre. On Sunday a group went to the “Zammer Lochputz”, a impressive gorge near Landeck.
Closing Event 2021
19 & 20 September 2021
Haus der Begegnung Rennweg 12
Innsbruck / Austria
The Yoalin travellers met on Sunday for an excursion through the town of Innsbruck and dinner together. On Monday this was on the agenda:
Interviews with funding partners, sharing of travel experiences, award ceremony for the contest winners, speed friending, discussion groups (on Digitalisation & mobility, Last Mile, sustainable travel), sum up & outlook. It was great to meet all the travellers, ambassadors, experts and supporters in Innsbruck!
Closing Event 2019
All the yoalin-travelers were invited to the Ceremony of Closure on 27th of September at the Aula Progr and at the Alpine Museum in Bern/CH. We heard stories about the travels, discussed demands on sustainable mobility and celebrated the Youth Alpine Interrail-project together with high ranking officials and politicians. In the evening the winners of the story- and photo-contest were revealed and awarded with prizes.
On 28th of September some of the Yoalin-travellers also had the opportunity to attend the big national Climatestrike in Bern.
Here are some impressions of the closing event:
