The Pass of Monte Croce Carnico (1366 metres ASL) has traditionally been the main crossing point between the Friulian plain and the green Austrian valleys since Roman times. Located at the top of the But Valley, in Carnia, this pass saw the transit of millions of people and goods, even after 1866, when, following the annexation of Veneto and Friuli to the Kingdom of Italy, it became a border post with Austria-Hungary.
All these flourishing trades were abruptly halted by the outbreak of the Great War: the peaks around the pass were turned into battlefields and the two armies relentlessly fought each other throughout the summer of 1915 to conquer the most strategic points. Once taken over, these positions were fortified with massive military installations, as you can still see today on Mt. Pal Piccolo or Mt. Freikofel (also known as Mt. Cuelàt), where a cross-border open-air Museum opened in 2005.
THE TOMBSTONES PLACED AFTER THE WAR TO REMEMBER THE LOCATION OF THE WAR CEMETERY. HERE 628 SOLDIERS WERE BURIED, LATER MOVED TO THE OSSUARY OF TIMAU.
To visit it, you must drive back to the But Valley along road SS52bis up to Timau (hamlet of the Municipality of Paluzza) and continue towards the Austrian border; leave your car at the fourth hairpin bend near a roadhouse (1064 metres ASL). This is the departure point of CAI trail No. 401a, leading straight to the Chapel of the Val Tagliamento Battalion (1428 metres ASL). Continue along the trail and, after the woods, cross the meadows of the Pal Piccolo farm where, in the open, you can admire some ruins of military buildings and a war altar dating back to 1916. A little further on, at 1545 metres ASL, on a rock on your right, you can see a tombstone with an iron cross commemorating the soldiers who fell in battle.
After a few metres, you will find a fork: if you continue straight, you are heading to Mt. Pal Grande, while the left road leads to CAI trail No. 401. Take the latter and, after a while, you will clearly see the summit of Mt. Freikofel on your right. After walking for about half an hour, you will see a second fork: turn right and take CAI trail No. 413, which leads to the summit (1757 metres ASL) through some aerial walkways (metal handrail and stairs). On the top, visitors can see a memorial, built during the fascist regime, and some recently-discovered military installations. Below, on the southern side of the summit, visitors can admire some restoration work carried out by the volunteers of the Association "Friends of the Carnic Alps", in particular the barracks and friezes.
Back to the memorial, take CAI trail No. 413 again and start descending along the eastern side of the mountain, following the borderline between Italy and Austria. This route leads all the way to Cavallo Pass (1622 metres ASL) and is dotted by several remains of the Great War (ruins of buildings, barracks, tunnels). Once you reach the pass, keep on your right and, after a few metres, first turn right and take CAI trail No. 401, then turn left and take CAI trail No. 410 (also known as "History Museum trail"). The descent along a wide trail shaded by trees ends after about an hour near the Stauli Roner, from where a short slope on the right takes you back to the departure point, along the former Roman road. At the end of this route, you can admire a precious restored tombstone dating back to 371 AD.
To complete your visit of this mountain and the "Carnia Zone", as it was known, we recommend taking road SS52bis again and make a stop at Timau. Here, you can visit the Ossuary of Timau, the Monument dedicated to the Carnic porters and the beautiful Museum "The Carnic area in the Great War 1915 - 1918", cured with passion by the volunteer group "Friends of Carnic Alps".
