Ravelnik and Čelo are two open-air museums allowing visitors a chance to visit spaces where soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army defended the Bovec basin from invading Italian troops from the end of May 1915 until the end of October 1917. The two sites restored by locals and the Slovene government are different in what they offer as well as their original purpose with regard to their roles in holding off the Italians.
BOVEC-PLEZZO-FLITSCH
Bovec – Plezzo in Italian and Flitsch in German – sits in a small meadowed basin to the north of the Isonzo River walled in from the north by the massive mountain walls – 2000 meters high – of the Kanin Massif stretching from Kanin in the west to Rombon in the east. The massif features geology familiar to mountain lovers of the Dolomites farther to the west in South Tirol or the higher Slovene peaks of the central Julian Alps further north and to the east. Smaller peaks rose to the south linking up with the Krn – Monte Nero – massif.
The Isonzo makes its appearance coming in through a gorge to the east. It flows through the basin on its south edge disappearing into a canyon on the west end where the river corkscrews towards Kobarid – Caporetto – to the south. At the point where the river turns, a small valley – Učja – edges up to the west and Italy. Back on the east edge of the basin where the Isonzo arrives on the scene, its waters mingle with those of the Koritnica coming down from the upper heights of the Julians, inserting itself into the basin through the dramatic Kluže gorge on the eastern end of Rombon. Above the gorge, another smaller alpine valley with the little village of Log pod Mangartom sits beneath the important Predil Pass. Predil Pass served as an open door to the Austrian hinterlands in the distant past.
To defend the pass, the Austrians opted to defend the basin at its eastern end. Lack of resources and manpower, plus the existence of two reasonably modern fort – Kluže and Hermann – seemed like good places to start their plans to try and thwart Italian intentions. The Austrians by 1915 already found tehmselves involved in a fight for their life. Their armies stretched to and beyond the breaking point in both Galicia and in Serbia. There was little left over in May 1915 to defend against their former allies, the Italians.
WAR BEGINS
The Italians marched into Kobarid in the last days of May 1915, but Bovec received a temporary reprieve. Italian 2nd Army commander Pietro Frugoni decided the main push in the early days of the war directed towards the Tolmein bridgehead and through Kobarid to the Krn massif. If successful, this would open a door to Ljubljana beyond. Initially, problems due to lack of manpower forced the Austrians to place guns in positions around Bovec without men to man them. A slow and cautious Italian advance gave the Austrians time to stymie their moves as men became available with successes in Galicia against the Russians.
Italian army commander Luigi Cadorna ordered planning for operations in the area to begin in July. Men from the 4th Corps and the Carnia Group were to attack as part of the Second Battle of the Isonzo. The Italian 24th Division would operate out of the Val Raccolana and Sella Nevea on the north side of the Kanin massif pushing towards Predil Pass. A group from the Bersaglieri Division commanded by General Gaetano Giardino, chief of staff for the 4th Corps, placed itself in reserve near Saga just east of Bovec. The rest of the Bersaglieri along with part of the 33rd Division would push up towards the Austrian defenses on Javoršček, the peak south of Bovec across the Isonzo. The attacks supported by an arc of artillery reaching from Sella Prevala atop the Kanin to the peak of Vrata just north of Monte Nero-Krn.
bovec falls
Artillery raged forth between 12 to 14 August followed by the infantry. The push to Bovec gained ground in the first days advancing to Pod Turo – about two kilometers – before a temporary halt to resupply came in 20 August. Resuming the offensive three days later, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment captured the now-ruined village of Bovec while Alpini units made their way up to Čukla, a subsidiary peak – 1754 meters – beneath the taller Rombon – 2208 meters.
Operations in the Bovec basin slowed down with the failure of attacks upon the Tolmein bridgehead. Giardina then turned his attention to completing the occupation of Rombon. Those attacks failed ending the immediate battles. It was not long, however, before the Italians were at it again. While the main directions aimed at Rombon and Javoršček in September, the 6th Bersaglieri Regiment tried the Austrian defenses upon Ravelnik 11 September but without artillery support the attacks were without success.
STALEMATE
Italians in the Bovec basin became dominated by Austrian positions on the twin hills of Ravelnik and Stržišče just east of the village. In this region of towering mountains, neither hill seems very dramatic – 519 and 486 meters, respectively. Without the trees crowning their heights as you see today, the hills must have appeared even less of an obstacle in 1915. However, the little hillocks hid a nest of fortified positions, caves, and tunnels which turned the positions into strongholds. Plus, any Italian moves against the defenses had to happen in plain sight of the Austrian defenders. Attackers had to rush across wide stretches of open fields to get close.
Austrian positions on the hills to the north, east and south also proved to be problematic for Italian control of the basin. Because of the height advantage, Italian attacks began again in late October – 20-27 – as part of a larger effort with other attacks made by groups of the 4th Corps. With the end of October, the Italian army sheltered in place as well as it could for the coming of winter.
ČELO
Čelo is a subsidiary peak – 679 meters – on the west side of the sharply pointed summit of Svinjak. Built between November 1914 and the spring of 1915, Stützpunk Kal was armed with two 120 mm M. 1880 guns taken from Fort Kluže. Realizing the guns were located deep in the Kortnica canyon and of little use, the position on Čelo was built. The two-gun positions lie connected by a 200-meter trench and an observation post. Barracks for 40 men put in place with trenches crenellated for 150 rifles if close-range defense was need
The artillery base played an important role in helping defend the basin area. The Italians constantly shelled the battery damaging the position several times. Eventually, the guns moved slightly lower into caves which were harder for the Italians to hit. The guns took place in the opening barrage of the Twelfth Isonzo – Caporetto – Offensive.
12TH ISONZO
Italian attacks continued the next year against both Rombon and Javoršček. The straight on approach at Ravelnik and Stržišče left alone because of bigger events first in the Trentino and later further south around Gorizia. While no major actions were undertaken in 1916 or much of 1917, the area was not forgotten. The hills above Ravelnik became festooned with Austrian and German artillery.
Communication and transportation routes behind Italian lines were totally disrupted by the opening barrage early in the morning of 25 October 1917. A special gas attack made upon the 87th Italian Regiment of the Friuli Brigade. Most of the regiment – 500-600 men – wiped out in their trenches in a little valley – Nukla – just south of Bovec. This opened the door for Austrian soldiers to roll through the basin. They faced only sporadic resistance until reaching Saga where the valley narrowed in the west. By that evening, troops from the south coming up from Tolmein through Kobrid joined them. This cut off large numbers of Italian soldiers cut off in the mountains above to the east. The door to Friuli and the Veneto Plains now opened wide. The war moved far to the west leaving the scars of two years of warfare behind in the Bovec basin.
VISITING TODAY
RAVELNIK
Today, both Ravelnik and Čelo are maintained as open-air museums, part of the Pot miru – Walk of Peace – system. A path leads south from the road running from Bovec to Trenta and Vršič Pass. The paths wander around defenses still in place on the north side of Ravelnik running up to the top of the hill. Rifle loopholes, caves, communication trenches a communicating tunnel along with a couple of small cabins found within the forests along the paths. The trenches are not as deep as they once were, filled partially for safety purposes. Drilling accomplished originally by local miners from Log pod Mangartom who worked in Rabil Mines before the outbreak of the war.
Supplies came to the officers’ cottage on the backside (east) of the hill via an aerial cargo cable car from Koritnica village connected to the officers’ cabin. Electrical wires also led to the cottage from hydro power plant on the Koritnica river. In front of the cottage is a small chapel, carved into the rock. In the niche the soldiers placed a wooden cross. On top of the hill is a large crater originally 8 meters deep – filled in partially today – created from an Italian shell fired from Sella Nevea on the opposite side of the Kanin. This features as the only significant hit on the hill’s defenses.
Nearby, a trail goes south passing other tunnels mostly covered up today. Stržišče has not been restored. Coming off the hill, you come to a little road leading down to Vodenca and the large campgrounds loved by white water enthusiasts.
4th bosniak regiment
The rapids of both the Kortinica and the Soča-Isonzo are wonderful spots to practice and play today. Walk across the Soča at the hanging bridge at Jablanca is a rock reminder of the Bosnian defenders from the 4th Bosnian-Herzegovinian Regiment. They served here and up on Rombon during 1916 and 1917.
The 4th, one of the original 1894 “Bosniak” regiments recruited from Bosnia-Herzegovnia after the region was occupied by Austria-Hungary in 1878 – the land annexed in 1908. Founded in Mostar where the 3rd Battalion stayed in garrison before the war, the other three battalions posted to Trieste. The regiment transferred from the Serbian front in 1916 with their headquarters to the north in Log pod Mangartom. Heavily involved in fighting high up on Rombon and Čukla, the regiment gained fifteen gold medals for bravery awarded to soldiers of the regiment during the war. Eighty of the men lie buried in the little cemetery at Log pod Mangartom.
Čelo
Čelo – 679 meters – accessed by a trail leading up to Svinjak from the village of Kal-Koritnica. This is the first village – 3 km – you come to heading up the Trenta- Vršič Pass road out from Bovec. Figure on about thirty minutes for the ascent to the former artillery base – off a short side trail. You can walk about the gun emplacements, the trench and enjoy the same view the Austrian artillerists had during the war without the threat of being shelled.
The view is magnificent. If you want something even more so and are willing to pay the price, continue up the trail to Svinjak – “Shining on”. It takes another 2 hours 30 minutes – 1653 meters or total gain of 1180 meters. There are some exposed sections along the way with a a few handholds to make near the top. No water and it can get hot in the summer.
OTHER SITES
Two other sites close at hand are fascinating to visit as well. The Austro-Hungarian military cemetery of Bovec is a few hundred feet along the road to Trenta. It is just past where the road to Predil Pass takes off to the north. Inside the cemetery, the remains of over 700 soldiers, some transferred here from other sites after the end of the war. Italian soldiers who had been buried here were exhumed and moved to the ossuary at Kobarid in 1938. Only about a quarter of the graves are marked with tombstones. Two other Austrian cemeteries lie further up the Trenta road. One at Soča – more than 1,400 lie here, the site of a wartime hospital. The other at Trenta behind the local cemetery – more than 200 soldiers rest here. Graves of Russian prisoners of war lie here, as well.
Žičnica Golobar
Also, along the road to Trenta not far from the village of Kal-Koritnica – from here the trail up to Čelo starts – is the Žičnica Golobar. This started life as one of many aerial sup0ply lifts hauling supplies to soldiers fighting high in the mountains. The lift enjoyed an extended life much more so than many of the others after the war serving local forest and agricultural needs. Formerly, the lift – rose over a length of 2.1 km 638 meters up the mountains to the south. An Austrian supply depot atop spread supplies out to men fighting on Javoršček and Lipnik.
The lift’s last trip was in 1969 with the cables removed in 1989. Beneath the lift exhibit along the side of the road, the Soča runs through a beautiful canyon which can be accessed over a hanging bridge. The exhibit shows a log suspended on the lift system like how the lift was used postwar.
On a sidenote, there are war remains on both Javoršček – 1557 meters – and its lower neighbor to the west, Humčič – 810 meters. Those remains are closed due to a danger of access and wandering among the old ruins.