Museo all'aperto di Monte Piana

The Museo all'aperto di Monte Piana sits on a flat mountain top above Misurina, in the Dolomites right on the South Tyrol border. Trenches from both sides of the First World War still cut across it, Italian at the south end and Austrian at the north. Volunteers have carefully cleared and rebuilt theses positions decades later, making them an incredible memorial and piece of history to explore. Low sun is spreads across the stonework and shows the details in the dry stone and the cut of the ditches against otherwise flat ground. From here you can also capture the Tre Cime di Lavaredo from across the plateau (rather than from the usual Rifugio Auronzo side). Getting up here takes some planning, but the views are well worth the effort. The old military road from Misurina is closed to private cars and bikes, your only options are taking the jeep shuttle from the Genzianella parking area or hiking in. There is a charge for the shuttle. Once you get to the Rifugio Bosi at the top, getting to the open air museum is a well marked walk. Ideally stay the night at Rifugio Bosi so you can head out early for the sunrise and morning light or stay out late and experiment with astrophotography. Keep an eye on the skies as you are shooting, this high plateau is wide open the weather can change quickly. (Auronzo di Cadore, Veneto, Italy)