From 22 to 25 January, the 30th edition of the Memorial Danilo Re was celebrated in Slovenia. Hosted by Triglav National Park and jointly organized with ALPARC - The Alpine Network of Protected Areas, the event brought together more than 240 rangers and protected-area staff from Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, and Slovakia.
The Memorial officially began on Thursday with the traditional parade of teams. A total of 42 teams, led by the Junior Rangers of Triglav National Park and accompanied by brass music, marched through Kranjska Gora to the main square. There, the opening ceremony took place, featuring speeches by ALPARC President Dr. Peter Oggier, Tit Potočnik, Director of Triglav National Park, Alenka Smerkolj, Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, Henrika Zupan, Mayor of Kranjska Gora, and Dušan Vučko, President of the Council of the Triglav National Park Public Institution.
The ceremony also provided a solemn moment to remember all rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, in particular Danilo Re, in whose memory the Memorial was originally created, as well as Mauro Fissore, the founder of the Memorial Danilo Re. They were honoured with the song Signore delle Cime, performed by the Slovenian opera singer Andreja Geržina.
The evening continued with the traditional Alpine buffet, where specialties from across the Alpine region could be enjoyed – ranging from Upper Bavarian beer to tapenade from southern France. Alpine friendship and reunions were celebrated late into the evening.
On Friday, the teams trained for the upcoming competitions, while the ALPARC General Assembly took place in the morning. The ALPARC team presented the activities and projects of the past year, and members discussed the new work programme, future joint projects, and continued cooperation across the Alpine region.
In the afternoon, the Ranger Seminar offered a valuable exchange on the topic “Management of visitor flows in sensitive natural areas by Alpine rangers and available tools”. Various presentations from different protected areas showcased projects, challenges, and solutions related to visitor management. Once again, the discussions highlighted the great value of international exchange and the importance of cross-border cooperation in the Alps, where protected areas face very similar challenges. Presentations of the Ranger Seminar can be found here.
Saturday marked another highlight of the event: the competitions for the Danilo Re Trophy. In the four disciplines of ski mountaineering, giant slalom, cross-country skiing, and shooting, the 42 teams competed with great enthusiasm, ambition, and sportsmanship, cheered on by an enthusiastic audience.
In the evening, the gala dinner and award ceremony took place. In the overall ranking, two teams from Gran Paradiso National Park shared the podium with Aree Protette delle Alpi Marittime. All competition results can be found here.
For the first time, and on the occasion of the 30th anniversary, the Mauro Fissore Award was presented by Aree Protette delle Alpi Marittime. The award was given to Giuseppe Oddone, who has participated in the Memorial Danilo Re for many years and uniquely embodies dedication to nature conservation and Alpine friendship, both on and off the cross-country skiing track.
After the gala dinner, the Mauro Fissore Band took the stage, quickly filling the dance floor. With great music and atmosphere, participants danced and celebrated late into the night, once again living the spirit of Alpine friendship.
Once more, the unique character and exceptional atmosphere of the Memorial Danilo Re became evident! We are already very much looking forward to coming together again in 2027, when the Memorial will be hosted by Hohe Tauern National Park Carinthia (Austria).
Find all photos of the 30th Memorial Danilo Re here.
Copyright: © Archive of the Triglav National Park Public Institution
