Belvedere Fortress - Werk Gschwent in Lavarone houses a World War I museum
Image gallery: World War I Museum
Werk Gschwent is one of the seven fortresses built by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to protect its borders on the high plateaus of Trentino and the only one to not have been partially or even completely destroyed in the 1930's. Today all of its parts can be visited. It was planned by engineer Rudolf Schneider and built between 1908 and 1912 on a rocky cliff overlooking the Val D'Astico, near Óseli, a village in the municipality of Lavarone, where once the border between the Italian Empire and Austria-Hungary passed. Equipped with three howitzers in an armoured dome and 22 machine gun posts, it is one of the biggest Austrian Hungarian mountain fortresses and was specially planned to withstand the seemingly never-ending days of bombardments.
Today, Forte Belvedere houses a museum dedicated to the commemoration of the bloody war in the mountains of Trentino-Alto Adige. The itinerary is organised on three floors, where it is possible to admire findings and discover the history of the fortress, its garrisons and the vicissitudes of the war, thanks to multimedial installations. The first floor is dedicated to military operations at the front and to an exhibition of objects related to the so-called "Guerra Bianca". The documents, propaganda materials and objects displayed on the second floor vouch for the conditions the soldiers lived in. Several multimedia installations will make you relive the daily life inside the fortress through sounds and images.
Please note: Suitable clothing is recommended even in summer as some areas are cold and subject to air streams and moisture.
Contact info
- via Tiroler Kaiserjäger, 1 - 38046 - Lavarone
- Guided tours or visits upon reservation.
- +39 0464 780005 / +39 349 5025998
- info@fortebelvedere.org
Opening times
Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.
Admission
Adult: 8.00 Euros
Reduced: 6.00 Euros (over 65, children and young people 7-17 years, groups - min. 10 persons)
Family Card: 18.00 Euros (Parents and children under 18)
Free entrance: Children (under 7), people with disabilities and carers, Trentino Guest Card, Alpe Cimbra Guest Card
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