Cicerone Press 2018
English-language guidebook to the Karnischer Höhenweg, a 170km waymarked hut-to-hut trek along the border between Italy and Austria. Also known as the Carnic Peace Trail, it runs west to east along the Ridge of the Carnic Alps, the site of the WW1 front line. With information on planning your trip, accommodation and the history of the area.
Seasons
The Karnischer Höhenweg is a high Alpine trek and can only be walked in the summer between mid-July and the end of September.
Centres
A linear ridge walk, the Karnischer Höhenweg starts at Sillian in the west and ends near Arnoldstein in the east, and crosses major road passes at Plöckenpass and Nassfeld.
Difficulty
The Karnischer Höhenweg is a clearly waymarked and well-supported high-altitude trek. The key requirements for its enjoyment are a reasonable level of fitness, a sense of adventure and a head for heights. There are a few places where steel cables and ladders need to be negotiated but these don't require any special equipment or technical expertise.
Must See
First World War remains; the open-air museum at the Plöckenpass; views of the Dolomites, Hohe Tauern and Julian Alps; the unique geology of the Carnic Alps UNESCO geopark; Monte Coglians - the highest summit in the Carnic Alps and home to the Peace Bell
