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Excursion to "Forte Dossaccio"

· 1 review · Hiking trail · Val di Fiemme
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APT Val di Fiemme Verified partner  Explorers Choice 
  • Forte Dossaccio
    Forte Dossaccio
    Photo: R. Gaia, APT Val di Fiemme
m 1900 1800 1700 1600 1500 1400 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 km Paneveggio-Pale di … Park Dossaccio Fort
An Austrian WWI fort designed for long-range combat. This fortification was intended to block a possible Italian invasion through the Travignolo Valley and the nearby San Pellegrino Pass.
easy
Distance 8.3 km
2:30 h
330 m
330 m
1,827 m
1,504 m
An excursion that offers the opportunity to spend a day combining history and nature. The building, evidence of the period of the late nineteenth-century Austrian fortifications, is located in a particularly panoramic position with an extraordinary view of the Lagorai Chain and the Pale di San Martino. The itinerary, although a bit long, has little difference in altitude and is therefore also suitable for families with children. The inside part of the fort is currently not open to visitors, some walkways allow you to go around the mighty walls. Forte Dossaccio can also be reached on the forest road that goes up from Paneveggio. There you can also find the "Visitor Center of Paneveggio Natural Park", which we highly recommend to visit.

Author’s recommendation

The building was built by the Austrian command between 1886 and 1900, as can still be read on a carved stone placed inside the large moat.
Profile picture of Staff Outdoor Val di Fiemme
Author
Staff Outdoor Val di Fiemme
Update: January 12, 2023
Difficulty
easy
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Highest point
Dossaccio Fort, 1,827 m
Lowest point
Castelir, 1,504 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
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Dec

Track types

Dirt road 99.84%Path 0.03%Road 0.11%
Dirt road
8.3 km
Path
0 km
Road
0 km
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Safety information

THE 10 RULES FOR HIKERS 

  1. Prepare your itinerary beforehand
  2. Choose an itinerary that suits your physical abilities
  3. Choose suitable clothes and equipment
  4. Check the weather forecast
  5. Hiking by yourself is more risky; if this is the case, take a mobile phone with you
  6. Leave information about your itinerary and your expected return time
  7. If you are not sure about your itinerary, contact an Alpine Guide
  8. Pay attention to signposts and directions that you find along your way
  9. Do not hesitate in going back if you feel too tired
  10. In case of emergency call 112

Please note that the practicability of the itineraries in a mountain environment is strictly linked to the contingent conditions and is therefore influenced by natural phenomena, environmental changes and weather conditions. For this reason, the information contained in this page may have changed. Before leaving for a tour, make sure the path you will approach is still accessible by contacting the owner of the mountain hut, the alpine guides or the visitor centres of the nature parks, the info offices of the local tourist board.

Tips and hints

APT Val di Fiemme - Tel. +39 0462 241111 - info@visitfiemme.it - www.visitfiemme.it 

www.parcopan.org 

Start

Castelir (1,503 m)
Coordinates:
DD
46.310638, 11.689240
DMS
46°18'38.3"N 11°41'21.3"E
UTM
32T 707062 5132077
w3w 
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Destination

Forte Dossaccio

Turn-by-turn directions

From Castelir, follow the signs for Forte Dossaccio. The path winds completely on a dirt road; the first section crosses green mountain meadows with some isolated huts. Then you enter the wood that bears traces of the Vaia storm (October 2018).

You reach Forte Dossaccio from which you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Pale di San Martino and the peaks of the Lagorai chain.

Return back on the same path.


This Austrian fortified complex was built at the same time as the access road to Forte Buso, between 1886 and 1900, and was modernised prior to the war itself (1912). The fort was excavated out of the rock of Dossaccio and built of porphyry blocks.

Next to the fort is a basin for the collection of rainwater (there are obviously no springs here on the summit), a walkway to the lookout tower, tunnels and trenches.

Forte Dossaccio was designed to permit long-range operations from a secure position and allow firing in all directions (towards the Passo Valles, Rolle - Colbricon, Bocche - Juribrutto and possibly also towards Predazzo, if the Lagorai line should have been overrun). The front ditch was provided with a cement covering and a machine gun emplacement.

The fort was armed with four 120 mm cannons in a casemate with minimal embrasures, four 100 mm Howitzers equipped with steel revolving domes and twelve 8 mm machineguns. The fort was also equipped with a tower for signalling and lookout purposes.

During the war the cannons were moved outside the fort and into the woods, partly in subterranean passages connected by tunnels and trenches. The domes of the Howitzers were refashioned in concrete and covered with tree trunks in order to camouflage the new emplacements. In 1915 and 1916 the cannons of the fort played a significant role in the defence of the Passo Rolle and Colbricon line. It was repeatedly bombarded but the large porphyry blocks held up well even when exposed to the 280 mm shells of the Italian artillery.

Note


all notes on protected areas

Public transport

Public-transport-friendly

The public busses "Trentino Trasporti" from Predazzo to San Martino di Castrozza stop in Castelir.

Getting there

From Predazzo drive direction Passo Rolle. After Bellamonte drive left to the litfs of Castelir. Park after the first bend on the left.

Parking

Parking area on your left side.

Coordinates

DD
46.310638, 11.689240
DMS
46°18'38.3"N 11°41'21.3"E
UTM
32T 707062 5132077
w3w 
///skinfold.hurled.screen
Show on Map
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike

Author’s map recommendations

Tabacco – Val di Fiemme, Lagorai, Latemar N° 14

Kompass – Val di Fiemme, Catena del Lagorai N° 618

Hiking map available in all Val di Fiemme information offices.

Equipment

Hiking shoes, rain-jacket, hiking poles, water, sun cream

Questions and answers

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Rating

5.0
(1)
Luca Frare
June 29, 2022 · Community
Ottimo passeggiata , senza grandi difficoltà ! La maggior parte della camminata e al ombra del bosco.
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When did you do this route? June 28, 2022

Photos from others


Reviews
Difficulty
easy
Distance
8.3 km
Duration
2:30 h
Ascent
330 m
Descent
330 m
Highest point
1,827 m
Lowest point
1,504 m
Public-transport-friendly Out and back Cultural/historical interest Scenic Insider tip

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