The ‘Alta Via’ (High Altitude Trail) of the Great War is an itinerary comprising sixteen stages over 200 kilometres in the Vicenza Pre-Alps. The journey combines nature, history and identity, with restored trenches, mountainside forts, tunnels carved into the rock and shrines that hold stories that can emotionallly move those who walk these paths.
Created to connect the four Vicenza shrines – Pasubio, Cimone, Asiago and Grappa – the route offers a unique opportunity to move between evocative mountain environments and places that marked the First World War. The experience is not just hiking: it is an invitation to understand how what defines Europe today has matured from a dramatic chapter in history: from democracy to freedom, to the value of cooperation.
Stage by stage, the trail becomes a journey to undertake with curiosity and awareness. The military mule tracks alternate with panoramic sections, the trenches open onto the valleys, and the forts overlook horizons that intertwine past and present. Each segment is a fragment of memory, an exploration of the mountainous territory of Vicenza and its surroundings.
The signs and noticeboards along the way help to orient and interpret the places, while the itinerary invites you to slow down, observe, and listen. Here the journey takes on a personal rhythm: you walk to understand, to discover, to be surprised by the strength of the landscapes and the meaning of the historical sites dotted around them.
The High Way of the Great War is an ideal route for those who want to combine hiking, culture and remembrance, and transform a walk into a travel experience that stays with you.
Route length: 198.2 km
Number of stages: 16
