The World Heritage Site

The World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (the perimeter) consists primarily of high Alpine natural landscapes. 85% of this area is located at altitudes above 2000 m. Approximately 50 mountain summits extend above 3500 m; 9 are higher than 4000 m. Almost 90% of this area consists of unproductive vegetation or is lacking in vegetation. With only a few exceptions (the research station and the railway station on the Jungfraujoch, Swiss Alpine Club mountain huts, the upper Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Lötschberg south ramp, and alpine pastures), the area inside the perimeter is either uninhabited or only seasonally inhabited. By contrast with use for Alpine tourism, land use and forest use within the perimeter are largely limited to peripheral areas.

The UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau Aletsch is among the areas least marked by human influence anywhere in the Alps. This pristine character in the midst of a region containing settlements and small-scale cultural landscapes is one of the outstanding features of the World Heritage Site.