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Caption: War trail Discover a world war village
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Caption: A World War I Bunker Village in the Slovenian Alps
The Austro-Hungarian army built a real village into the mountain to be able to withstand the trench war at two thousand meters above sea level. Some balancing skills are indispensable and agoraphobia is not the least recommended.
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Caption: This is the military village
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Caption: The three of us girls, Natasha, Aiga and me make a well assembled team. We have made many climbs and crossings in the mountains together. Natasa is from Slovenia, Aiga from the North, originally from somewhere in Norway. She likes yoghurt and grapes, which is a little bit unusual for a Samoyed. It was early October, a particularly good time to hike because you won’t meet anybody throughout the day, except horses, bulls, cows and caterpillars. Yes, a real caterpillar invasion was underway across our path. We couldn’t figure out the cause, but decided to make a detour, so the more so, since the caterpillars were not alone to swarm along our trail. A few bulls were grazing there too.
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Caption: We started from Kobarid, Caporetto in Italian. The word means to the Italians what Waterloo means for the French – the place was the site of a major breakthrough of Austro-Hungarian troops across the Italian frontline. But we were heading north, instead of the West, where the attackers went – ultimately to their final defeat. We were heading towards Vrata. The goal was to climb up to the top of Krncica ridge (2140mts). We parked in front of a narrow mountain road, at some 800 meters above sea level. Not knowing that on the way up you can go by car, we climbed upwards more than an extra hour.
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Caption: On this tour you really walk on the path like soldiers did during the war. While walking over dozens of bunkers, we found bomb fragments and cans as well and many unidentifiable rusty pieces of metal. All remained here from the war.
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Caption: The landscape is stunningly beautiful, almost difficult to imagine how the soldiers could not be touched by it, but they had of course more vital things to do than admiring the mountains.
But this mountain isn’t only beautiful. It also is full of difficulties. The trails are narrow and steep, rocks crumble, and if the weather is not as friendly as it showed himself to us, you’ll have to watch out for lightning, avalanches, rock falls.
We followed the ridge, so could admire the view of the valleys on both sides and of course the shapes of the clouds. On our way back, we followed the military path, making sure we did not miss any of the dozens of bunkers.
On the opposite hill there is a whole military village with countless bunkers, equipped with floors and paths leading to them.
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Caption: #alps
#mountains
#hiking
#hike
#slovenia