When Italy entered the war in 1915, the Dolomites became part of what was called the “White War”. Soldiers fought here on ridges and glaciers over 3,000 meters high, where the cold, thin air and constant snow were as dangerous as bullets. Avalanches could sweep away entire units overnight.
On Monte Lagazuoi, the Italian army tried to break through the Austrian defences by going underneath them. Their goal was to place mines under enemy positions on the ridge, especially a stronghold known as the Vonbank Stellung.
Work on the tunnels began in late 1915. Many of the Italian soldiers were former quarrymen from the Alps. They started digging from the south side of the mountain toward a narrow ledge called the Cengia Martini, which Major Ettore Martini and his men had managed to capture. From this exposed perch, Italian troops could see into the Austrian lines below.
The Austrians responded with their own tunnels and counter-mines. Both sides tried to out-dig and out-blast each other. In June 1917, the Italians set off one of their largest charges, blowing away part of the Austrian position. Even so, the front hardly moved. Life here became a slow fight for survival in snow and silence.
Conditions inside the tunnels were tough. The passages were narrow and wet, and the air was cold and stale. Soldiers worked by candlelight and listened to water dripping from the ceiling. They slept on wooden planks, wrapped in damp blankets, and carried food and ammunition up the mountain on cableways while under fire.
Avalanches were so deadly that in some winters they claimed nearly as many lives as enemy fire. Many men described waking to find their beards frozen to the rock, or digging themselves out after snow blocked the entrances. The isolation wore people down as much as the enemy did.
Today, the Lagazuoi tunnels are part of the open-air Museo della Grande Guerra. You can follow a one-kilometer route through the mountain, climbing stairways and ladders, and peering out of rough windows cut in the rock. These openings were once used as lookout points and gun positions.
The Lagazuoi area is now also part of the famous Alta Via 1, one of the most popular trekking routes in the Dolomites. Including this section in your trek is a great way to add a bit more adventure and history to your experience.
Information panels along the route tell the stories of the soldiers who lived and fought here. Walking through the dark passages and then stepping out into sunlight high above the Dolomites is an experience that stays with you.
I walked this path in the summer of 2025. I started the hike on my own, and while the idea of entering a mountain full of tunnels might sound intimidating, it is good to know that you really cannot get lost in there. There are a few side branches you can look into, but if you are doing the route from top to bottom, there is only one way out, and that is down. So take your time and enjoy it.
Inside the tunnels it is dark, quiet, and damp. My biggest piece of advice is simple: do not rush. The floors are uneven and can get slippery, so walk steadily and pay attention to your footing. I did not bring a helmet, although many other hikers were wearing them. If you are tall, it might be a smart idea to wear one. What you absolutely must bring is a headlamp, and I do mean a head lamp, because you will want both hands free to hold onto the cables in the steeper parts.
Shortly after I entered, I met an Italian family with three young children, maybe around six to eight years old. They were having the time of their lives exploring the tunnels together. None of us had via ferrata gear, and you do not need it for this route, but if it gives you peace of mind, you can bring it along.
I spent a bit more than an hour inside the tunnels, moving slowly and taking it all in. I loved this experience, not only for the sense of adventure but also because of the history you can feel in the rock around you. It is hard to imagine how soldiers once lived through winters here, digging and surviving in these cold, dark corridors while war raged outside. Walking through them as a hiker, knowing they walked through them as soldiers, is a humbling feeling. It makes you appreciate both their resilience and the calm silence that now fills these tunnels.
If you are visiting the Lagazuoi area, I highly recommend this hike. It is not just a beautiful route, it is a rare chance to step inside history.
Walking through the Lagazuoi tunnels is more than just a hike. It’s a look into a part of the First World War that few people know about. The silence inside the mountain is heavy, broken only by dripping water and the sound of your boots on the stone.
Once a place of explosions and avalanches, the tunnels are now a place of remembrance. The Dolomites as a whole are a region marked by war, and traces of these times can be found on many treks throughout the area. They are a reminder of how hard people can fight to survive, and how nature eventually reclaims even the scars of war.
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