World War One in the Dolomites

Posted on September 8, 2014 in Italy Lakes & Mountains by Kevin.Holland Tags: , , ,

As the world marks 100 years since the outbreak of World War 1, it is important to remember that not all the fighting took place in the trenches of northern Europe and the Western Front. Far less well known, especially to us in the UK, was the horrific and ultimately pointless battle fought on the Italian Front, known as the White War.

This is the perfect time to visit the sites of the brutal warfare that took place in the Dolomites between 1915 and 1917.

When Italy entered the war on the side of the UK, France and Russia, and declared war on its former allies in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it came as a great shock to the Austrians. Neighbour fought against neighbour, sometimes separated only by a few metres, in a horrific theatre of war where the freezing conditions were as much an enemy as the opposing side. This was especially true for the Italians, many of whom were not used to the cold, as they had been drafted from far sunnier climes in the south of the country.

The two battlegrounds of Lagazuoi and Cinque Torri, between La Villa and Cortina, are a sobering reminder of the mountain warfare that took place in 1915-17. This whole area of the Dolomites is riddled with trenches and tunnels excavated by the troops. There are still some you can visit, most notably the long underground tunnel that takes you right from the top of the Lagazuoi cable car to the bottom of the mountain – don’t forget a torch and a helmet!

A visit to the trenches at Cinque Torri is an eye opening experience. Walking along the restored trenches, seeing the lookout points, field medical centres and artillery shelters really brings home how hideous the conditions would have been. Of course, this was a war where the natural landscapes were used as weapons as well – the Dolomites are naturally crumbly and soft, meaning that man-made avalanches were a common way of attacking the enemy by both sides. Each tried to catch the other out, burrowing beneath each others’ trenches to plant explosives.

Even the tranquil villages of the Alta Badia were not immune to the horrors of war. La Villa, Badia, San Cassiano and Corvara all provided the front line with supplies to receive the wounded soldiers into one of the many military hospitals that sprung up – many of which are now popular hotels.

Today, the beautiful mountains that were so battered in war are peaceful again, and visitors can admire the scenery and reflect on the hundreds of thousands of men who lost their lives here, fighting someone else’s war.

Why not visit the trenches with us on your next Inghams holiday?