The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.
The Alpine arch extends from Nice on the western Mediterranean to Trieste on the Adriatic and Vienna at the beginning of the Pannonian Basin. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at 4,809 m (15,778 ft) is the highest mountain in the Alps. The Alpine region area contains 128 peaks higher than 4,000 m (13,000 ft).
The altitude and size of the range affect the climate in Europe; in the mountains, precipitation levels vary greatly and climatic conditions consist of distinct zones. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations.
The Winter Olympic Games have been hosted in the Swiss, French, Italian, Austrian and German Alps. As of 2010, the region is home to 14 million people and has 120 million annual visitors.
These amazing photos were found by
Vintage Cars & People captured people driving crossing the Alps in the 1920s and 1930s.
 |
| Three rugged-looking motorists posing with a Steiger 10/50 PS Tourenwagen on Axenstrasse, the road on the east side of Urnersee in the Swiss canton of Uri. The car is registered in the state of Baden, September 1925 |
 |
| The Steiger 10/50 PS Tourenwagen with its hood up, parked on the side of an Alpine road with newly fallen snow in the background, September 1925 2 |
 |
| The Steiger 10/50 PS Tourenwagen with its hood up, parked on the side of an unpaved mountain road. Newly fallen snow can be seen in the valley in the distance, September 1925 2 |
 |
| Three rugged-looking motorists, some sort of official wearing a peaked cap, and a St. Bernard dog posing with Steiger 10/50 PS Tourenwagen in front of a lake at an Alpine pass on a misty day in early autumn, September 1925 |
 |
| Three dapper fellows posing in an open tourer on an Alpine road overlooking a valley. The right-hand drive car is registered in the French département of Haut-Rhin, circa 1928 |
 |
| A stylish couple posing with a Willys-Knight Six on Axenstrasse, the road on the east side of Urnersee (part of Lake Lucerne) in the Swiss canton of Uri. A Chenard & Walcker Type Y3 can be seen behind it, circa 1929 |
 |
| A company of five fashionable motorists posing with an open-top automobile on Axenstrasse, the road on the east side of Lake Lucerne in the Swiss canton of Uri. The village of Flüelen can be seen in the distance, circa 1930 |
 |
| A DKW F2 Meisterklasse parked on the side of a graveled Alpine road, high above the tree line. The DKW is registered in the German state of Baden, circa 1935 |
 |
| A man with a white cap on Pordoi Pass in the Italian Alps. The car is a Ford Köln with pre-war German licence plates of the formerly Prussian Rhineland, June 26, 1936 |
 |
| An ancient automobile parked on an Alpine road with snow-covered mountains in the background. This is the southbound descent from Großglockner High Alpine Road leading towards the village of Heiligenblut, circa 1936 |
 |
| An elegant lady posing in an Opel 1,3 Liter Cabriolet on a gravel road in an Alpine setting. The car is registered in the city of Nuremberg, 1936 |
 |
| Three members of a middle-class family – probably a daughter and her parents – posing with a Renault Monaquatre on a mountain road. The location is Col du Lautaret in the French Alps, 1936 |
 |
| Two cheerful ladies posing with a 1936 Ford on a mountain road lined by massive snow walls. The location is Col du Lautaret in the French Alps, June 1936 |
 |
| A 1934 Ford negotiating a hairpin bend on an Alpine road. Only the bend itself is made of concrete slabs, while the straights are covered with gravel, circa 1938 |
 |
| A BMW 326 pictured on an Alpine road. The photo was taken on Grossglockner High Alpine Road. The car is registered in the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau, circa 1938 |
 |
| A company of seven posing at the customs house on Umbrail Pass on the Swiss-Italian border. Two of the men pictured are Swiss customs officers. At least two of the others seem to be connected to the Lancia Augusta, 1938 |
 |
| A fellow in a light-colored raincoat posing with a 1934 Ford Model 40 Sedan on a mountain road in the Italian Alps. The car is registered in the city of Munich, circa 1938 |
 |
| A young lady in traditional Alpine dress known as Dirndl enthusiastically posing with a BMW 326 on a mountain road. A coach and a two-seater convertible are passing the scene. The BMW is registered in the state of Hesse, circa 1938 |
 |
| A young lady wearing a Dirndl posing with a BMW 326 on an Alpine road. The car is registered in the state of Hesse, circa 1938 |
 |
| The distinctive shape of the Memorial Chapel, a large German saloon, and the silhouette of a pedestrian appear on the crest of the road, as the Karlsruhe-registered Opel approaches Fuscher Törl, circa 1938 |
 |
| Three members of a German middle-class family posing with an Opel Super 6 in an impressive Alpine landscape, circa 1938 |
 |
| Three Opel automobiles and a sidecar motorcycle pictured at Ferleiten Toll Station, the northern starting point of Grossglockner High Alpine Road, circa 1938 |
 |
| View from Hochtor tunnel on Grossglockner High Alpine Road onto a magnificent Alpine panorama. A BMW 315, a Steyr 50 can be seen at the tunnel's southern entrance at an altitude of over 2,500 metres above sea level, circa 1938 |
 |
| Two ladies in white dresses – probably mother and daughter – posing with a Renault Suprastella on an Alpine Road. The car is registered in the French département of Seine et Oise, circa 1939 |
0 comments:
Post a Comment