From winter cold to spring life
At the beginning of March, everyone is already longing for spring. There is still snow in the Alps, but it won't be long before everything changes there too. Skiing and cross-country skiing make way for hiking and mountain biking, because nature is getting ready for summer. The snow melts and makes way for flowers, plants and young animals. A beautiful season to experience in the Alps.
Melting snow and wild streams: Where winter disappears and summer begins
Around May, spring really starts in the Alps. Most of the snow has already disappeared in the valleys, but the snow also starts to melt in the higher mountains. All that water has to go somewhere, which is why several streams and waterfalls are created. Even in places where you don't see them in the summer. The water seems to come from everywhere. The trees also get their green leaves back. It is a special sight to see the forested mountain slopes in different shades of green; the dark green of the evergreens and the fresh, light green of the young leaves of the deciduous trees. The sun is already increasing in strength, which means that it can be pleasantly warm even higher up in the mountains.
The Alps in bloom: Which plants can you see in spring?
As soon as the snow starts to melt, the flowers and plants become visible again. On the southern mountain slopes, this happens a bit faster than on the northern ones, and the plants benefit from this. The flowering plants, which are sensitive to frost, can be found on the northern slopes in particular. Well-known plants that can be seen in spring are the alpenrose, the gentian and the spring crocus, but also the dwarf snowbell and the alpine snowbell. These plants and flowers start to bloom around may. You can admire the pink-red color of the alpenroses until mid-July at the latest. Sometimes they also bloom in august, but usually not so exuberantly. To be sure that they bloom, it is better to go a bit earlier, such as in june. Don't forget to admire the mountain daisies, because these cute flowers also show themselves early in spring.
Out of Hibernation: Which Animals Do You See in Spring?
When you think of hibernation, you probably immediately think of bears. They can also be found in the Alps, especially in the Italian part. They become active again in the spring, but they are not the only Alpine inhabitants that do so. The alpine marmot, or the murmeltier, also hibernates and emerges from the deep burrow system in the spring. With a bit of luck you will also see ibexes and chamois in the spring, which cannot yet go up because of the snow higher up on the mountains. Another interesting change is that of the ptarmigan, the snow hare and the stoat. To stay warmer and not to be noticed in the snow, they had put on a white coat, but in the spring this changes back to a brown and/or spotted variant. This makes them fantastically good at playing hide and seek.
A well-known spring phenomenon is the singing birds, which seem to come from everywhere. Together with the rushing of the water, they give the Alps their own song, which is worth listening to.
The Alps in spring are fantastic to experience. Hiking in spring to admire all the beauty is highly recommended. Keep in mind that if you want to go early in spring, there is still snow on top of the mountains and not all restaurants and cable cars are open due to the summer revision. Some things will open again in mid-May, but this can vary from place to place. If you would like to use cable cars to admire the spring, June is a better choice. Most of the snow has melted, blooming alpine roses and gentians can be admired and the marmots can be seen and heard again. Isn't that a fantastic prospect? Bring on the spring!
