Morteratsch glacier special coin

The Morteratsch glacier is one of the larger glaciers in the Alps and the largest in the Bernina region in the canton of Graubünden. It reached its peak extension during the Little Ice Age of the mid-19th century. Since then it has receded by about three kilometres in length, shrinking by about 40 metres a year. Meltwater flowing down has caused several caves to form under the glacier tongue, the end of the ice stream. In earlier times, the Morteratsch glacier stretched down into the valley, which is why it is also referred to as a valley glacier. Today, the glacier is still around 6.4km long and covers an area of 14.9km2.