A melting glacier shifts the border between Switzerland and Italy
“So, are we in Switzerland or Italy?” – Frederic, 59-year-old tourist.
One of the largest ski areas in the world offers slopes in Switzerland and Italy. In Italy it is Breuil Cervinia Ski area connects to the Zermatt Ski resort in Switzerland, which is located around the Theodul Glacier. Nestled between the two borders is a mountain cabin that has moved around since it opened in the 1980s.
euronews.com reports that this melting glacier is the Refuge Guide del Cervino in a solitary position. When it opened in 1984, the entire building with 40 beds and a restaurant was in Italy. Today two-thirds of the building, including most of the rooms and the restaurant, are in Switzerland. The obvious reason for this is climate change, with retreating glaciers causing the chalet to move. The Theodul Glacier lost a quarter of its mass from 1973 to 2010. With rising temperatures, this in particular continues to be an issue in Europe Summerthis is probably a diplomatic matter that will not be resolved for Switzerland and Italy.
In 2018, diplomatic negotiations began between Italy and Switzerland to find out in which country the mountain hut is located. They reached an agreement in 2021, but the official details will not be announced until the Swiss government approves the deal in 2023. Alain Wicht, chief border guard at the Swiss mapping agency Swisstopo, said both sides had agreed to split the difference.
earlier this year, VOX covered the melting border in a fascinating video detailing the dangers of climate change in Europe. The video is below.
Photo/video credits: Refuge Guide del Cervino, VOX