The mountainous interior spine of Western and Central Europe. Includes the Alps, the Bohemian Massif, and the Carpathian arc. Encompasses Switzerland, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and the upper Danube basin. Geologically young and rugged, marked by high peaks, enclosed basins, and glacially carved passes. This region forms Europe’s hydrological core: the headwaters of the Rhine, Danube, Po, and others. Climate varies sharply by altitude. Historically a zone of fortress valleys, cultural mixing, and strategic chokepoints.
