The Alps are a major mountain range in south‑central Europe, stretching in a wide arc for about 1,200 km from the Mediterranean coast between France and Italy across Switzerland and northern Italy to Austria and Slovenia. They lie mostly within eight countries: France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia.

In simple terms: if you look at a map of Europe, the Alps form a big curving barrier just north of Italy, running through eastern France, across Switzerland, into western Austria and down toward Slovenia.