The best walks and hikes around Tonezza Del Cimone

Austro-Hungarian artillery emplacement from World War I, dug into the rock. With the great Spring Offensive of 1916—nicknamed the 'Strafexpedition,' or Punitive Expedition—the Imperial Army aimed to break through the Italian barrier and invade the Po Valley through the valleys of the Vicenza Prealps. Obviously, the first prerequisite for this plan to be feasible was to dominate the surrounding peaks that controlled the access routes below, driving out the enemy. On May 21, 1916, Austro-Hungarian troops passed through an empty and desolate Tonezza: the inhabitants, faced with imminent danger, had quickly abandoned the town and its surrounding countryside to take refuge in the plains, facing exile lasting only a few weeks, but which lasted until the end of the conflict due to the escalation of hostilities. The Italian army, in disadvantaged and indefensible positions, had retreated, barricading itself on Mount Cimone, the last and indispensable bastion of resistance. To defend and maintain the positions they had conquered on the Tonezza Plateau, the Austro-Hungarian units built trenches, walkways, cave shelters, and artillery emplacements everywhere, like this fort: dug into a natural rock formation, it housed a 105 mm gun to dominate the Rio Freddo Valley below. The trees, now dense, were gone over a hundred years ago, having been felled by soldiers who needed a clear line of sight. Not far away, continuing along the steep path that descends to the valley toward the climbing wall, there is a second fort, dug into a cave, which housed another 105 mm gun.

This sword stuck in a rock, at the edge of the woods, is an unexpected, suggestive, fun and magical picture, not only for children but also for adults! King Arthur's legendary iron is the fulcrum of the short but fascinating Excalibur Trail, to which it gives its name... it is the real reason that pushes families to do this excursion with children! Who will be able to extract it, becoming the new Lord of Camelot? https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur

A panoramic point in Tonezza

Non-demanding route following the signs, extendable with variations to be done with a sure step, chamois encounters, view of the Spitz Tonezza Forte Campomolon Monte Toraro

Super panoramic view of the tip where you can observe the beautiful Tonezza and all the surrounding mountains without problems 🥰😍

Super panorama from an easily accessible peak

Very suggestive point, between a rock wall and an overhang, little frequented

An Austro-Hungarian stronghold during the Great War, located on the rocky hillside before the promontory of Monte Cimone, fortified and able to withstand attacks from all sides: a labyrinth of trenches, shelters, machine gun emplacements, and flamethrowers. The soldiers called this position "Hexenkessel" (translated as "witches' basin" or "witches' cauldron") to emphasize the danger of this defensive line, completely exposed to fire from Italian batteries positioned on the surrounding mountains. It was from here that excavation work began to place the large mine beneath the Italian-occupied Monte Cimone, as well as the attack three minutes after its detonation. An accurate historical reconstruction reproduces a section of a trench, with wooden slits and concrete bags simulating the original sandbags; even the intertwining of branches is a reproduction of how the soldiers used the elements available in nature to protect the trenches from landslides.