The Alps are a territory of highly uneven topography and unevenly distributed urbanisation processes. However, for all its heterogeneity and dynamism, alpine urbanisation is a scarcely researched topic. Building on the concept of planetary urbanization, we investigated in how far the physical mould of the Alps and urbanisation as a process relate and interact. To answer this question employed a mixed-method investigation into the tri-national alpine region Rätikon. Through archival research, interviews, and walks, we were able to analytically derive three intertwined moments that outline the development of the Rätikon. In doing so, we suggest a reading of the Alps as a particular case of planetary urbanisation. The proposed processes allow shifting the vantage point in the alpine region from the dichotomy of productive and unproductive spaces to specific driving forces of alpine development.