The Winter Olympics
The Alps have hosted the Winter Olympics on a number of occasions, most recently in Turin in 2006. With Milano-Cortina, the 2026 Winter Games will once again be held in the Italian Alps, despite vociferous criticism. In 2030, the French Alps will be the venue for the Olympic competitions. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is striving for ‘sustainable games’, but this claim has failed every time so far.
A review of the experience gained as a result shows that, in democracies such as Alpine countries, the Winter Olympics face an uphill challenge. People are no longer willing to accept their escalating magnitude, impact on the environment, incalculable costs, or the diktat of the all-powerful IOC. With the Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC wants to strive for more transparency and sustainability, but the plans for the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina and Milan paint a different picture. This collection of field reports, arguments and technical information illustrates why there is no longer any room in the Alps for the Winter Olympics in their current form.
Articles on the topic
Why Sochi is not in the Alps
The idea of the Alps as a venue for the Winter Olympics is these days scarcely conceivable. CIPRA has now produced a review of the reasons underlying this, the experiences gained from the candidatures of Annecy, Salzburg, Munich and Graubünden (Grisons), and what remains of the Turin Games.
Point of view: the enlightened Olympics-free Alps
The referendum decisions against "Munich 2022" and "Graubünden 2022" prove that the Olympic spirit is dead. Simply not everyone has yet noticed.
CIPRA's point of view: The Alps are far too valuable for the Olympics
The result of the vote held on 3 March 2013 in Graubünden is clear: 52.7% are against the Winter Olympics being held there in 2022. This example shows that there is no desire for gigantism in the Alps.
Further information
Feb 17, 2026