Today we try to start a bit earlier and driving the opposite direction than yesterday.

After a 45 min drive we arrive at a parking spot at the small Lagazuoi (2.778m).

Today we are doing something special. The Kaiserjägersteig with some war tunnel hikes.

Yes, a workout with history what else do we need.

This hike is a simple and a nice walk up the mountain in serpentine. The mountains like walls around us and you can see the hut at the peak of the mountain already.

Info: You also can use a lift to get to the peak.

The weather is just perfect. A little colder than yesterday but in total, nice and sunny.

After the nice walk we are staying before big, wooden steps. They are looking like made for giants. We can play Alice in Wonderland or Jack and the beanstalk. I really like that idea! My imagination is already jumping around and searching new magical head stories. For this part we don’t use our safety gear because it is not really steep just giant steps and some climbing like children.

Yeah, but never say you don’t need your gear to early 😉 we see one of these beloved bridges with a steel line and you can see through the bottom. (That’s something I really hate) Yes I take every challenge on what I can and because of yesterday I already think that I will survive that.

I need to say it was only a really short time we have had the safety gear on.

Info: Still use the safety gear!

The first small tunnel from the Second World War was coming and something new to explore. The tunnel is just a hole in the ground where soldiers have lived in the war times to protect the borders. Just imagen you need to life on a windy rock for years and years and years, with snow and wind. That is not really a nice thing to think of.

We are hiking further up the mountain. The trees are already gone and rocks and the last green parts are on the side of the trail. At a small break some birds with bright yellow feet’s are jumping around us.

Some hikers are crossing our way. We just enjoy the view, the weather and the air. It is easy against yesterday but amazing. After some corners and crossings we arrive already the peak of the mountain. Here we can see again the two sides of the Mountains. The mountains are the line between the rough dark side and the sunny, grass and full of life side. It is these power of both side what inspires me to hike. There is always something new on the other side, around the next corner.

At the peak is a cross, and we can see more tourists. Most of them have taken the lift. We are walking to the hut and already dreaming of a hot tea after that cold and crazy wind at the peak.

Info: The trail to the cross is totally new, they rebuild it at the moment but you can walk easily up there from the hut.  

Shortly before we reach the hut we see a tight rope between the two mountains where a girl is staying on top of it. She has the perfect balance, underneath her more than 70 m of nothing. A wind comes up and she falls….

For one, two second you can see the shock in her scared face, the panic but her security line is already catching her. She got herself up again and just relaxed for a few minutes on the rope. Sitting there laughing and talking to the person on the side. It is fascinating how much trust she has in herself and the gear.

We’re finally reaching the hut. A perfect place to have some awesome lunch, getting hot tea and finally a toilet.

The food is amaaazzzzziiinnngg. A bit fatty but come one after a hike you just want some food to get your energy back.

I really can recommend the Kaiserschmarn also if it is not the classic variation I know. More apples and raisins but the other food was looking sooo good too. The cheese plate, the pasta, the bacon and eggs…. I start already to get hungry again.

But somehow we need to go down again. Jep we are walking and don’t take the lift. Here the best part starts.

After a small search of the right way down we find the entry of the Second World War tunnel. Here are some different tunnels who are more than 1km long.

Info: You definitely need a helmet and a flashlight.

We find living areas, many holes in the walls where they could fire with their guns, food areas and kitchen. Deeper and deeper we go and more rooms are coming. Step by step we are visiting a different world, all the rooms in the dark and our new friend is the flashlight. No one else is here. We are complete alone. We see the technic rooms and where the lift got some food up here. We read about the history, the attacking’s and how the people inside the mountain have suffered, survived and lived. No one would ever want to take their place.

After a good 2 hours we are back down to move to the next smaller tunnel system. Here we see another living area, some pictures and can read some letters from the people who lived here. Close at the bottom we come out of the mountain.

That mountain people have lived years in. The mountain where people have died in.

For us, it is a hike with history!

Back down we hear cars after cars. Sport cars.

We start driving back but we got in a small race with a whole bunch of people. They are driving like crazy and you can see they know what they are doing.

Another corner and police!

Jep my guts are down my belly. For our luck we can cross also in the caravan of sport cars they allow us to drive further. We realize that this is a controlled event we have taken part in now. (Just imagen a big fat smiley here)

For the evening we only stroll around the near town but realizing that we are too tired for exploring. (Ok the pretty expensive shops have done the rest)

We are driving home and going straight into the same restaurant as yesterday. A big, fat pasta alio olio. Everyone needs to eat it, that we all are smelling after garlic 😉

And that’s it.

That was a perfect weekend in the Dolomites. I would wish we have had some more time to spend, but I am soooo happy for these amazing days.

-Only my own recommendation in this blog post. 10.2019. No paid advertisement-