Читать книгу The Karnischer Hohenweg. A 1-2 week trek on the Carnic Peace Trail: Austria and Italy онлайн

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The special nature of the Carnic Alps makes them a honeypot for hikers, and five different long-distance walks traverse them. In addition to the Karnischer Höhenweg and the Italian version, the Traversata Carnica, they are traversed by: the E10, one of Europe’s 12 long-distance hikes; the Via Alpina, the main red route on its way from Monaco to Trieste; and the 03, the Südalpenweg, one of Austria’s 11 national trails.

The Peace Trail

The mountain fighting in World War I lasted for just two and a half years, from May 1915 to October 1917, but its impact, both culturally and physically, endures. The immediate post-war period saw ethnic cleansing, a hardening of the borders and, on the Italian side, a concerted process of ‘Italianisation’ – the imposition of the Italian language. The bitterness provoked by this process was deep and, some argue, still persists.

The Peace Trail and much of the early promotion of the Karnischer Höhenweg is down to the work of ex-army officer, alpinist and historian Walther Schaumann. The son of a soldier who had served in World War I, Walther believed that restoring wartime relics and making them accessible to visitors was an important act of reconciliation. He coined the term ‘Peace Trail’, which now applies to three routes: the first part of the Karnischer Höhenweg, established by the Dolomitenfreunde (Friends of the Dolomites) in Austria; the Itinerari di Pace sul Carso della Grande Guerra in Italy; and the Pot Miru (Walk of Peace) in Slovenia.