The Alps are the cultural and natural heart of Europe, and in recent decades they have faced many changes. These changes have often entailed negative consequences because they affect the very essence of the Alps: their population, preservation of the natural environment, maintenance of the cultural landscape, and traditional economic activities that have respected the sensitivity of this ecological and cultural system. This article defines the significance and role of culture in the regional development of the Alps as part of sustainable future development. The analysis focuses on the conditions in the Slovenian Alps and draws parallels with the entire Alpine range. The article is based on the findings of the DIAMONT project.

Alpe so kulturno in naravno srce Evrope, ki pa se v zadnjih desetletjih soočajo s številnimi spremembami. Njihove posledice so pogosto negativne, saj zadevajo samo bistvo Alp: njihovo prebivalstvo, ohranjeno naravno okolje, vzdrževano kulturno pokrajino in tradicionalne gospodarske dejavnosti, ki so upoštevale občutljivost ekološkega in kulturnega sistema. V članku opredeljujemo pomen in vlogo kulture pri regionalnem razvoju v Alpah v kontekstu trajnostnega razvoja. Pri tem se osredotočamo na razmere v slovenskih Alpah in vlečemo vzporednice s celotnim alpskim lokom. Članek temelji na ugotovitvah projekta DIAMONT.