Any balloon pilot who has been lucky enough to make a balloon flight across the Alps will probably tell you it was the best flight of their life.
The annual International Alpine balloon meet in Chateau D’Oex , Switzerland is one of the most popular destinations for pilots wanting winter sport in January.
The Alps, with their majestic peaks and challenging terrain, became a natural playground for early balloonists seeking to conquer the skies.
By the early 19th century, intrepid balloonists set their sights on the Alps, aiming to conquer some of the highest and most treacherous peaks. The Swiss Alps, with their breathtaking vistas and challenging weather conditions, presented a formidable yet irresistible challenge. In 1804, André-Jacques Garnerin, a French balloonist, ascended above the Mont Blanc, marking one of the earliest recorded balloon flights over the Alps.
Eduard Schweizer (1852–1931) began taking photos from the basket in 1893 and left behind a unique collection of breathtaking aerial views – mainly of the Alps and Swiss cities – under the pseudonym Eduard Spelterini and became one of the world’s best-known aviation pioneers.
