This tour will take us to Redipuglia and Gorizia, two places that witnessed violent attacks and great destruction during World War I.

Redipuglia is universally renowned for its great War Memorial where the bodies of 100,000 soldiers who died during World War I are buried. The majestic marble stairway with its 22 terraces takes you up the hill, with panoramic views over the surrounding battlefields.

The tour then continues to Gorizia, the only town in Italy divided by a border (its eastern half is actually located in Slovenia). It was the capital of an ancient Austro-Hungarian province and was a very important and wealthy city until the outbreak of World War I, which destroyed it almost completely. Today it still keeps some evidence of a central European heritage in its long avenues and architecture: the characteristic church of St. Ignazio, the imposing Palazzo Attems-Petzenstein, site of a fine picture gallery, and many other buildings in the historical center are clearly Hapsburg in inspiration.

The heart of this beloved city on the Isonzo river, though, is the majestic castle, located on a hill and surrounded by a medieval burgh. It is one of the loveliest fortresses in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and it is often used by local authorities for cultural events.