Walking the paths of memory

The First World War in the Dolomites

Explore the Dolomites’ World War I history: trenches, forts, and the challenging front where soldiers endured harsh winters and faced the hardships of war.

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The Dolomites became one of the most dramatic and inhospitable fronts of the First World War. Here, soldiers fought not only against each other but also against nature itself — amid towering peaks, freezing temperatures, and relentless snowstorms.

1915

The outbreak of war on the Dolomites

After Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, fighting began along what is now the border between South Tyrol and Veneto. The conflict quickly turned into a war of attrition and trench warfare in the high mountains.

Winter 1915

Deadly winter in the Dolomites

The first winter was the deadliest, with freezing temperatures and avalanches killing more soldiers than weapons did. Two avalanches alone, on the Marmolada and in the Val di Landro, buried around 600 men.

1916–1917

The “War Amid Rock and Ice”

The mountains became a vast battlefield: forts, fortified posts on passes and peaks, and hundreds of kilometres of trenches and tunnels carved into the rock. Soldiers endured harsh, endless winters at extreme altitudes.

1918

The end of the war and new borders

When the war ended, Trentino and South Tyrol were cut off from the rest of Tyrol after more than a thousand years and became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

Memories carved in stone

Traces of the Great War in the Dolomites

The war on the Dolomites front has left indelible traces on the mountains. The Valparola Pass is the ideal starting point to explore the remains of the front line and visit the WWI museum Forte Tre Sassi, a restored Austrian fort once called “Intrá I Sas” (“between the mountains” in Ladin).

From here, several trails lead through well-preserved trenches, military posts, and tunnels, some still accessible today. The fort lies between the Sas de Stria, with its maze of trenches, and the restored Edelweiss stationing. The route continues along the Setsas/Settsass front line to Col di Lana, whose summit was destroyed by the Italians with five tons of dynamite, killing 150 Austrian soldiers.

Across the Valparola and Falzarego passes rises Lagació/Lagazuoi Mountain, its slopes crossed by kilometres of Italian and Austrian tunnels. One of the most famous routes is the Lagazuoi circular trail, ascending via the Kaiserjäger path and descending through the Italian tunnels.

Valparola Pass

WWI Museum "Forte Tre Sassi"

The most important and impressive World War I museum in the Dolomites, featuring over 3,000 wartime artifacts. Easily reachable in just a few minutes by car or bus (line 465) from Camping Sass Dlacia.

The mountain that dominated the front

Sass de Stria

Starting from the Forte Tre Sassi Museum, the route winds through restored Austrian trenches and tunnels along one of the most strategic points of the Dolomites front, leading to a panoramic summit overlooking Falzarego, Valparola, and Val Badia.

Everyday life behind the lines

Edelweiß stationing

Starting from the Forte Tre Sassi Museum, the route includes restored barracks, frontline trenches, and historical reenactments. An immersive experience combining military life, prehistoric archaeology, natural springs, and the historic landscapes of Valparola.

Inside the mountain, heart of the war

Lagazuoi - Kaiserjäger

A unique route through tunnels and ledges carved into the rock, reliving the soldiers’ extreme conditions. Accessible from Falzarego Pass or by cable car; experience and proper equipment required.

On the most fiercely contested front

Col di Lana – Monte Sief Loop

Starting from the Forte Tre Sassi Museum, this route crosses the bloodiest front of the First World War, scene of assaults, mines, and continuous fighting between 1915 and 1917, marked by trenches, tunnels, and high-altitude positions. For experienced hikers only.

An open air museum

The Cinque Torri

An easy hike among restored trenches and military positions, accessible on foot (from Rifugio Bai de Dones) or by chairlift (arrival at Rifugio Scoiattoli). An open-air museum set in a spectacular panorama of the Cortina Dolomites, where history meets nature.