Bellum Aquilarum open-air museum

In World War I, the Dolomites were the backdrop of the cruel Mountain Warfare, in which not only the Austro-Hungarian, German and Italian troops faced each other, but the soldiers also fought against the mountain, winter and hunger. Still today, remains of camps, shelters, command barracks and trenches bear witness to those times. Some of them tell about the inventiveness of the soldiers and the attempt to develop technical solutions that would ensure survival.

The Bellum Aquilarum Association from Sesto, accredited as a voluntary organisation, has set its sights on saving these traces on Mt. Croda Rossa from the weather effects and oblivion. The Bellum Aquilarum open-air museum - "Freilichtmuseum Rotwand" in German, "Museo all'aperto della Grande Guerra" in Italian - shall be a memorial against war and its far-reaching consequences. Also a documentation centre is planned in the village of Sesto. The hike through the open-air museum starts at the Rudi Mountain Hut at the mountain station at 1,950 m a.s.l. and leads in 45 minutes to the Anderter Alp at 2,150 m a.s.l.

In summer, some exhibits can be seen in the Monte di Mezzo Fortress at the southern slope of the area. Furthermore, in the Via della Chiesa road in Sesto, you may visit the exhibition "Not forgotten. The First World War in the Sesto Dolomites 1915-1918", accessible in high summer. And how to reach the Bellum Aquilarum open-air museum? From the mountain station of the Croda Rossa Cable Car, reachable from Moso di Sesto, the path no. 100 leads to the Anderter Alp. Along the hike the traces of WWI can be seen, also guided tours are offered. In addition, nearby, at the Campanile Colesei rock needle, a new via ferrata was opened a few yeas ago through this area steeped in history: The via ferrata on the Cima Otto of the "Sesto Sundial".