Fortification Trail

The Fortification Trail is an itinerary of about 60 km, to be completed in 4 stages, that develops between the high Maira and Grana Valleys and allows you to admire numerous fortifications built for defense purposes. Walking it means taking a step back in time, taking breaks to closely admire the remains of barracks, casemates, bunkers, and ironworks made by soldiers on these mountains. The most observant cannot help but wonder about the enormous difficulty of constructing these structures, given the precariousness of the means and techniques, a rather hostile environment especially in the winter months, and the distance from communication routes. The roads that once connected the defensive works built by hand along the scree and rocky slopes have now partially collapsed, but the sections of dry stone walls and rough paving that still survive testify to the great skill of those who worked on the realization of what is now known as the "Alpine Wall," the most ambitious fortified system defending Italy's borders. The dominant feature remains, however, the majesty of the natural environment you cross; the place that best summarizes these characteristics is the Gardetta Plateau, a border area between Italy and France, but also between the Maira, Grana, and Stura valleys; even today, a walk in this place represents a journey back in time: from the remains of the ancient "trune" of the 1700s to the various Bandia and Meja lake Barracks, up to the bunkers and casemates that peek out among the pastures and rocky slopes with white, round roofs built in anticipation of the Second World War.