Pal Piccolo First World War Open-air Museum

Amid the stunning landscapes of the Carnic Alps, an itinerary exploring one of the most fiercely contested peaks of the “Carnia Zone” during the First World War.

The Pal Piccolo Open-Air Museum offers the opportunity to discover several traces of the First World War in the Carnic Alps. Starting from the Plöcken Pass (1,360 metres above sea level), the former border can be reached on foot. A few metres into Austrian territory, a sign marked “Kleiner Pal – MG Nase” indicates the beginning of the trail leading to the summit. The ascent, steady but not difficult, soon reaches the saddle below the hill known as the “Machine-Gun Nose”: a stop here is a must in order to explore the Austrian stronghold, with its trenches, some of them covered, positions and barracks. The route continues through the forest and, in about an hour and a half, reaches the base camp of the Dolomitenfreunde association, which manages this open-air museum. From here, visitors can freely explore the complex and articulated Austrian positions that extend across the surrounding peaks, to the right of the Kleiner Pal. The summit is reached shortly afterwards, where, close to one another, it is possible to see the observation dome, the Austro-Hungarian communication trenches and the so-called Italian Trench Line (1,860 metres above sea level). From here, seeing with one’s own eyes how close the enemy front lines were, it is possible to understand just how difficult life on the front must have been.

Author's tip

It is recommended to combine the hike with a visit to the many places of interest in Timau: the museum “La Zona Carnia nella Grande Guerra 1915–1918”, the Monument to the Carnic Porters, and the Italian Ossuary.