When you stand on the Normandy beaches nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a war going on somewhere that’s seemingly so peaceful. Similarly, when you’re in the gorgeous mountains of northern Italy, it’s difficult to imagine a war going on there. It is, however, a historic part of the world where you can mix hiking and visiting old WWI sites. Here’s a guide to the Sentiero del Forte hike, or the ‘Path of the Fort’ in English, to help you plan your hiking day out.
How To Hike The Sentiero Del Forte Hike In Enego, Vicenza
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FAQ for the Sentiero del Forte hike
Where is it located?
Enego, about an hour and a half from Ederle.
Is there a cost?
There’s no cost for the hike, but there can be a cost for parking depending on where you park.
What skill level is required?
Beginner.
What type of trail is it?
Loop with mixed terrain from asphalt and paved roads to dirt and rock trails.
How long does it take?
About 3 hours depending on your pace.
Are dogs allowed?
I haven’t seen anything to say they’re not allowed, but in my opinion, it’s not a good dog trail because of the overgrowth with thorns and amount of time on asphalt in the heat.
Is it kid-friendly?
It’s not doable with a stroller. If you’re kids like hiking then they’d probably be fine. As always – you know your kids best so check the guide here and choose what suits your family.
What facilities are available?
It starts and finishes in the town where there are lots of bars and restaurants.
What should you bring with you?
- Water
- Snacks or energy gels – I buy these a box at a time from Amazon
and always take a couple with me when hiking - Hat and/or sunscreen
- Bug and tick spray
- Long pants
- Camera – I love using my GoPro with this compact selfie stick for hikes
and always take a couple with me when hiking
for hikes
Where to park for the Sentiero del Forte hike
The trail starts and finishes in the center of town, so it’s a matter of finding whatever parking is available around town. Depending on what you find, you might have to pay at a meter.
The trail starts at Via Guglielmo Marconi so, after you park, just make your way there.
Start of the trail (look for the red sign)
Walk up the street then it turns into a grassy trail
How to navigate the Sentiero del Forte hike
This one is really easy to follow because it’s very well signed the whole way. There is also a QR code that you can scan to listen to an audio guide, though I didn’t do this so I can’t speak to what it’s like.
There is one section after the fort where you come to the main road (that you probably drove on to get to the start) and there is no sign for which way to go. Walk downhill on the side of the road until you see a path and sign on your right.
Follow these signs
This is the spot you will see after you have been walking on the road – you go down to the stone wall then turn right
What to expect on the trail
You’ll start by walking through the town, up Via Guglielmo Marconi, and will reach the grassy trail when it ends.
All of a sudden you are out in nature.
The first section was quite overgrown when I was there – I’m not sure if this was just timing or if it’s always like this, but I recommend wearing long pants because some of the overgrowth has thorns.
There are a couple of steep sections that will slow you down, but no ridges or anything super technical or scary. There’s one steep section close to the start and one that’s your final push at the end.
The biggest difficulty comes from the endurance test when walking the uphill sections, but if you have a basic level of fitness you’ll probably be fine.
Trail views
Scaling on of the uphill legs of the Sentiero del Forte hike
Nature and wildlife on the hike
I love how this hike is like being in nature’s living classroom.
The pretty wildflowers gave it a cool ‘secret garden’ feel and I also loved being able to hike and find things like wild berries and beans growing on the side of the trail.
In terms of wildlife, be prepared for bugs, bees, spiders, and snakes. Nothing too scary so don’t let that alarm you – I know sometimes the mention of snakes scares people off.
They’re around though and I saw three while I was hiking, but they all slithered out of the way.
If you’re nervous, walk heavy with your footsteps, almost like a stomp, and it should scare them off before you get there.
Landed on my hand and stayed long enough for a photo
The WWI fort
This is what makes the hike special.
You get to hike to a WWI fort.
When I read about the hike, I assumed it would be rubble or some leftovers of a fort and not much to see, to be honest. But I was so surprised when I got to the fort because it’s a lot bigger than I thought and you can walk through it, through each of the tunnels to see the little hole-in-the-mountain lookout points the soldiers had.
You don’t need a flashlight for the tunnels unless you get really uncomfortable in the dark. I used my phone light and it was enough to get around.
When you walk towards the fort there is one sign and an uphill trail. You can take this one for a nice bench with a great view, but to get to the fort just walk past this sign and keep going straight.
Walking in the mountains is cool as it is, then you get this unique, historic monument and it makes for an interesting hiking adventure.
After you take a moment to see it and pay respects, you’ll be heading back toward town where you can stop for a spritz at one of the bars and visit the monument and lookout in the center of town.
To get to the fort keep going straight past this sign. But you can follow the trail on the left for an uphill hike that to get to a bench with a view and then it comes downhill and loops around to the fort
The bench with a nice view
Other guides on things to do near Vicenza
- A Complete Guide To The Ponte Avis Hiking Trail And Suspension Bridge
- Hikes In The Dolomites – 17 Day Trips You Don’t Want To Miss
- Everything You Need To Know About Hiking LAGO DI SENAIGA In Italy
- A Practical Guide On How To Hike The 52 Tunnels Trail In Italy
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