Annual Congress 2025
8 September from 14:00 to 13 September from 11:00 Switzerland/ Melchtal
Welcome to the website of EGEA Annual Congress 2025. Here we will show you our plans for the congress and provide you with all the information you need. We will update it regularly, please give us some time to work on the specific sections.
Greetings from EGEA Zürich, Jena and Halle 🙂
Topic: Geographies of celebration
Large events – be it in sports, culture, or entertainment – are transformative moments for cities and communities. They bring people together, celebrate shared experiences, and place their host regions in global spotlight. Yet, these grand celebrations often come with significant challenges. The immense investment in infrastructure, resources, and finances frequently contrasts with the long-term impact, raising critical questions about sustainability and equity.
From abandoned stadiums and altered cityscapes to environmental degradation and displaced communities, the aftermath of large events can linger long after the applause fades. Do the promises of economic growth and urban development truly outweigh the costs?
Our exploration dives deep into these pressing issues, examining how major events reshape infrastructure, influence local economies, and impact the environment. Through an interdisciplinary lens – spanning human and physical geography, remote sensing, and GIS – we will uncover the ripple effects of large-scale gatherings on host cities and landscapes.
By bringing together experts, students, and stakeholders from diverse fields, we aim to develop innovative strategies for event planning and management – ones that ensure lasting benefits for host communities while minimizing negative impacts.
Participant fee
| Fee to be paid (in %) | AC 2025 fee (in EUR) | |
| Group A | 100 | 210 |
| Group B | 80 | 168 |
| Group C | 65 | 136.5 |
| Group D | 50 | 105 |
Austria
Belgium
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Lithuania
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Croatia
Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovak Republic
Türkiye
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo
Ukraine
Programme
Workshops
According to our topic “Geographies of Celebration – Rethinking the Impact of Mega-Events” and the EGEA Theme Year “Circular Economy”, we are looking for motivated participants that want to give a workshop at the congress. Below we have listed some suggestions for workshop topics but feel free to elaborate your own ideas. Our goal is to have at least one workshop per study field of geography (Social Geography, Economic Geography, Physical Geography, Geoinformatics/Remote Sensing).
Circular Economy
Explore the effectiveness of different bottle recycling systems in Europe.
Social impact from large events
Explore the impact a large event like the Olympic Games have on the local community.
Climate change and Alpine sports
Explore how climate change affects Alpine sports and e.g. the Olympic Winter Games.
Economic impact from large events
Investigate how much a country profits from large events or if it is more of a financial burden.
Spatial planning of large events
Explore how spatial planning can aid a successfull completion of a mega-event like the Eurovision Song Contest.
The (economic) cycle of water
Explore how water is used and recycled over its course in a stream.
Drop it low on pastures
Investigate the impact a music festival has on the pasture soils on which it is held.
Spying out megastructures
Explore the infrastructure remaining from large events with aerial images.
Animals in shock
How do large events (e.g., solar eclipse, new years eve) affect animal behaviour?
Location
blog.luzern.com
region Melchtal
Our congress will take place in the Melchtal which is situated in the geographic centre of Switzerland ca. 80 km south of Zurich. The valley shaped by the river Melchaa is surrounded by beautiful mountain formations and nearby lakes. The Melchtal is famous for being the supposed origin of Arnold von Melchtal, one of the three legendary founders of Switzerland, according to the country’s founding myth.
Accommodation
With the Sportcamp Melchtal we found an ideal venue for our congress with a breathtaking mountain view. Located 890 m above sea level, it offers everything we need: A spacious hall for GA sessions and evening events, multiple workshop rooms, and many outdoor possibilities. Whether you’re exploring nature trails, unwinding in the fresh alpine air, or getting active on the sport courts with volleyball or bouldering, Sportcamp Melchtal combines relaxation with adventure, making it an inspiring setting for every part of our programme.
Adress of the accomodation :
Fruttstrasse 36, 6067 Melchtal, Switzerland
Travel guide
The congress starts with the registration at 11 am on Monday, 08th of September 2025, followed by the opening ceremony at 2 pm. Make sure to arrive on time! After one week of great experiences it is time to say goodbye after breakfast on Saturday 13th of September 2025. We recommend using the same way back.
Note that Switzerland has its own currency, the Swiss franc CHF (1 EUR ~ 0.95 CHF), but you can usually pay by card.. At the congress you can pay in Euro.
Public transportation in Switzerland is a convenient and reliable way of getting around, which is why we recommend that you use it for your travels. Below you will find our suggestions for the various means of transport to and from the congress venue.
If you are travelling by train to the AC2025 your destination is the village of Sarnen.
There are several ways to reach Sarnen by train, for example RE7 or IR15 from Bern or IR70 and IR75 from Zürich. If you take the train from Zürich or Bern you need to change in Luzern to PE or S5. You can search for connections in the SBB Mobile App or on the website of the Swiss Federal Railway company SBB. As Switzerland is part of the European Youth Pacts, people up to the age of 26 receive discounts – for example, a group ticket for four people for 80 CHF in total for a whole day. You can find the best international train connections on comparison portals such as Trainline. The fastest train connections can be found on the EuroCity website. There are also student discounts there. We recommend using the SBB Mobile App to stay updated on track changes etc.
From Sarnen you have to take the Postal Busservice B 343 to Stöckalp and leave at the stop Melchtal, Sportcamp to get to the accommodation. We will later provide a sheet with the departure times, where you can sign up for and distribute to the various bus reservation we made for you.
The nearest Flixbus stop to Melchtal is Luzern, but Zug and Zürich are also possible. From there you have connections to Milan, France and Germany. You can also find cheap buses outside of Flixbus, for example on apps like Trainline. Sometimes you can get some student discounts on different national and international student discount websites (E.g. Studentenrabatt in Germany).
Check the section by train (and bus) for further information on how to get to the accommodation after reaching the major cities in Switzerland.
You can also drive to Sportcamp Melchtal by car, there are plenty of parking spaces. We recommend driving in groups and will later publish a carpooling sheet where you can find other EGEAns carpoolers.
Important: To use Swiss highways, you need a Vignette. They are only available for one year (01.01.2025 – 31.01.2026) and cost 40 CHF (44 EUR). You can buy them online or at service stations near the border.
The accommodation is located in the Swiss Alps, so it is the easiest way to get to Switzerland from the north, e.g. via international roads from southern German cities such as Freiburg, Stuttgart and Munich, but also from France and Austria.
If you have made it to Switzerland, the direct way to AC2025 is via highway 2, which connects Basel and Luzern. Coming from Zurich, you can take highway 14 and highway 4 to enter onto highway 2. Please keep in mind the speed limit of 120 km/h. Speeding Tickets are very expensive. I mean it’s Switzerland, what did you expect? If you drive pass Luzern, take highway 8 Junction Lopper to Interlaken until you reach Sarnen. From Sarnen you can take the cantonal road to Melchtal. The speed limit for main roads/highways is 100 km/h, for cantonal roads 80 km/h.
There is a barrier from the ski area in front of the entrance to the sportcamp, this should be open, otherwise you can take a ticket and validate it (for free) at the accommodation.
If you want to fly to AC2025, the nearest airports with suitable connections are Zurich (ZRH) or Basel-Mulhouse (the only airport with three codes: BSL in Switzerland, MLH in France, EAP in Germany). After arriving at the airport you can use the public transportation to Sarnen and to the accommodation. The cheapest airlines reaching Swiss airports are WizzAir and RyanAir. Use websites like Skyscanner and Google Flights to find the cheapest flights.
🌳To protect the environment, please check the other travel options before you book a flight, or consider traveling only one way by plane and the other by alternative modes of transport.
Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support, without which we would not be able to realize this event.
University of Zurich
EGEA Zurich has been supported by the University of Zurich (UZH) for many years and we are delighted that this commitment will continue for AC2025. Special thanks go to the President’s Service and the Department of Geography at UZH.
Registration
We offer 200 spots for participants, incl. fixed places for official positions.
You can register for the Annual Congress 2025 from Tuesday, April 1, 2025 0:00 CEST (UTC +2h) until Sunday, May 18, 2025, 23:59 CEST (UTC+2h).
Below you will find the forms for the official registration and the open calls! If you are applying to lead a workshop or training please do not forget to fill in the registration form for participation as well!
Do you need financial support to attend the congress?
Consider applying for the support fund below.
Who's coming?
0 people are attending Annual Congress 2025
