Italea
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Route length 5 days

Dolomites and the Great War: a paradise marked by the bombs

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The experience

Itinerario che porta il turista a immergersi nei luoghi del cosiddetto “fronte dolomitico”, la linea di confine che durante la Grande Guerra separava l’Italia dall’Impero Austro-Ungarico.

Si sviluppa nella parte nord della Provincia di Belluno, dove tra maestose cime e fitte foreste si combatterono italiani e austro ungarici per 3 lunghi anni. Trincee, forti e gallerie permetteranno al visitatore di percorrere gli stessi luoghi che più di 100 anni fa erano casa e campo di battaglia di migliaia di soldati.

Tutto questo è inserito nell’autentico e spettacolare paesaggio dolomitico, che dietro alle sue imponenti montagne nasconde anch’esso le cicatrici di un conflitto che ha inevitabilmente segnato la nostra storia.

Questo tour è pensato soprattutto per gli amanti della storia e delle escursioni nella natura, ma anche per coloro che vogliono approfondire il passato di una provincia, ai più, sconosciuta.

Il livello è semplice e adatto a tutti, ma bisogna comunque tenere in considerazione che ci si trova in ambienti di alta montagna, i quali richiedono un certo abbigliamento.

In a few words

The Great War
Dolomiti Bellunesi
trips
trenches
strongholds
Marmolada
Valparola
5 Torri
Monte Piana
Pian dei Buoi
Monte Rite
roots
landscapes
emotions

Tour

Let’s start from the Queen of Dolomites: Her Majesty the Marmolada. Is there a start better than this? But not everyone knows that, before becoming a famous tourism destination, the highest peak of Monti Pallidi was an important place for the Great War.
We are beside the front line, only a few steps far from the enemy, the temeprature is polar and living here is extremely hard. But everyone fights for the victory and nobody can give up. This is what every soldier was thinking about during every day he spent here.
You can put yourself in their shoes visiting the museum located at the incredible altitude of 3000 meters! Here you will find a rich exhibition of objects found into the glacier, gone along with videos and panels that will describe you every single detail about life of troopers. You mustn’t miss the part assigned to the “City of Ice”, an incredible engineering creation made by the Austrians. It was based on a labyrinth of tunnels into the big snow dome.
To reach the museum, the departure point is Malga Ciapela: here you have to take the funicular railway that brings you to Punta Serauta, where the “Museo Marmolada Grande Guerra 3000 M” is located.

Address: Museo Marmolada Grande Guerra 3000 M, 32023 Rocca Pietore BL

Suggested footholds: Rocca Pietore, Caprile, Alleghe, Selva di Cadore, Colle Santa Lucia

Useful weblinks: https://www.museomarmoladagrandeguerra.com/; https://www.visitmarmolada.com/

Valparola and the Austrian strongholds

In this extremely northern area of the Belluno Province there are some relevant fortified Austrian buildings well preserved.
Above all stands out the “Forte Tre Sassi”, today set as museum and full of finds from the surrounding area.
If you would like to see more, you can walk to the near Edelweiss Stellung (Edelweiss Stationing), an ancient village where the Austrian soldiers rested. The six huts that compose it have recently been restored and for you it will be like taking a dip in the past.

Address: Forte Tre Sassi, SP 24 del Passo Valparola, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo BL; Edelweiß Stellung/Postazione Edelweiss, 32020 Livinallongo del Col di Lana BL

Useful weblinks: https://www.cortinamuseoguerra.it/il-forte-tre-sassi/

5 Torri, a walk through the trenches

The visit to Forte Tre Sassi and Edelweiss Stellung made you know the daily routine of an Austrian soldier. Now we move to the other side, on the Italian front, under the peaks of Nuvolau. The Italians, to conquer Val Badia, had to break the Austrian line on Valparola Pass and the surrounding mountains. At the same time they always had to check possible movements by the Austrians, to know if they would have attacked from other places. This problem has been solved by the nature, because the portion of territory between Forcella Averau and the 5 Torri was perfect to have a view not only on Valparola, but also on Val Cordevole, on a small part of Val badia and on the area of Col di lana – Settsass. The area was active from June 1915 and allowed us to drive out the enemies from Valparola and the above Lagazuoi, getting an important step forward towards victory.
Today you can freely explore the labyrinth of trenches, stationings and warehouses, discovering how was the life back in those times. There are many routes, everyone is different in time, but none is hard or strenuous.
For further information about the accessibility, the single routes or the recommended periods, click on the link down here!

Address: Cinque Torri Piazzale R, 32043, Cortina d’Ampezzo BL

Useful weblinks: https://5torri.it/IT/p24-Il-museo-della-Grande-Guerra

Suggested footholds: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana

Today you are at the base of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the clear example of the particular morphology that you find in these mountains. However, we ask you to move your eyes a little bit aside and down. That is. Now in front of you there’s a mountain anything but as high and eye catching as the ones surrounding…
That’s Monte Piana and it was one of the most important battlefields of the Great War. On its top you can’t take a step without running up against something that’s linked to the conflict. The same air you breathe brings with it all the past of this place where many have fallen, but no one will ever be forgotten.
The trip can be done by foot, thanks to the easy route of approximately 1.40h from Misurina (following the old mule track built by the Italians) or you can use the shuttle service offered from the same departure point. Reached the top, apart from the open-air museum, you can visit a small exposition of finds inside the Rifugio Angelo Bosi.

Address: Misurina, 32041 Auronzo di Cadore BL

Useful weblinks: https://auronzomisurina.it/misurina/; https://www.montepiana.com/

Suggested footholds: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Auronzo di Cadore

For the today’s activity we have thought about an hike around an evocative plateau, isolated into the Marmarole peaks and inhabited only during summer by herds of cows and flocks of sheep. We are talking about Pian dei Buoi.
The adventure begins very quickly, because the narrow road of Genio Militare, that brings you from Lozzo di cadore to destination, is the same built from soldiers in the first years of 19° century. Being so important during that period, it had to be hidden from the enemy and difficult to go through. You will understand that, seeing how it climbs upon breathtaking slopes and crags.
At the end of the rise, the view is unimaginable and unique: from marmarole until Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Cridola, a terrace on the earthly paradise. You would think that’s all, but the Dolomiti Bellunesi always set aside surprises…do you believe that we are only at the beginning?
Head now on the way to Col Vidàl. Despite peace reigning, here you won’t ever be alone: oxen and sheep will always keep you company.
Arrived at destination you could freely visit the stronghold and the small surrounding barracks. All has been recently renewed to make tourism stronger and more immersive than it already was.

Now you are ready not to visit Pian dei Buoi, but to experience it and understand what was yesterday, what it is today and what it will continue to be tomorrow.

The excursion can be approached in different ways. Today we offer you two alternatives:
• Ascent to Pian dei Buoi with e-bike to add a sporty touch to your trip;
• Classic ascent by car.

ATTENTION PLEASE: the road of Genio Militare is one-way and follows this schedule:
• from 9 to 13 – ONLY ASCENT
• from 14 to 17 – ONLY DESCENT
• from 17 to 8 – TRANSIT ALLOWED IN BOTH WAYS (for cars, pay anyway attention)

Chance to rent bikes in Tai di cadore (Pieve di Cadore)

Address: Parco della Memoria di Pian dei Buoi, 32040 Lozzo di Cadore BL

Useful weblinks: https://www.cosafareincadore.it/pian-dei-buoi-percorsi-rifugio-ciareido-col-vidal/

Suggested footholds: Lozzo di Cadore, Domegge di Cadore, Calalzo di Cadore, Pieve di Cadore

Have you arrived at the last day of our tour and your hunger of landscapes and mountains hasn’t been satisfied yet? Don’t worry, we are going to serve you the best dessert possible.
The last course of this long banquet is Monte Rite. This green “panettone” (staying in dessert topic) is a very easy peak to ascend. During the Great War, a stronghold and a barracks were built on its top. Why? The reason stands in the best characteristic that this mountain offers: the 360° view. From here, in fact, it’s possible to see the underlying Valle del Boite, the Conca d’Ampezzo and the Val di Zoldo. Moreover you can admire all the most important massifs of Dolomites…it will be like touching them! “What else?” said a famous ad…
Nowadays the “Monte Rite stronghold” has been rearranged as “Museo delle Nuvole”, an exposition belonging to Reinhold Messner and turned to the “pure mountain” fans.

To reach all this, you have to depart from Passo Cibiana and there you can choose if going up walking through the mule track or if being easily brought with a pick up!

Address: Monte Rite, 32040 Cibiana di Cadore BL

Useful weblinks: https://www.dolomiti.org/it/cadore/esperienze/trekking/escursione-rifugio-monte-rite-cibiana-di-cadore/; https://www.frontedolomitico.it/Storia/forti/rite.html

Suggested footholds: Cibiana di Cadore, Venas di Cadore, Valle di Cadore, Pieve di Cadore, Vodo di Cadore, Borca di Cadore

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