Fortezza Fortress (Franzensfeste)

Built between 1833 and 1838 at the behest of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, the Fortezza Fort stands on the shores of Lake Fortezza. The task of the fort was to guarantee the safety of traffic along the Brenner road up to the Upper Isarco Valley. Nowadays, the fort has become a museum.

Built between 1833 and 1838 under Emperor Franz I of Austria, it was one of the safest fortresses in the Alpine region of its time - built for the purpose of securing the axis between southern Germany and northern Italy in the Habsburg Empire.
65,000 square meters of area make the Franzenfeste the largest historical complex in South Tyrol. In addition to an estimated 20 million bricks and 250,000 cubic meters of granite, many tons of wood, sand and lime were used. The adaptation to the terrain, the fire fronts, bomb-proof gun positions, a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways, speak for the planning masterpiece. The fortress had already lost its strategic importance by the time it was completed. There was never any confrontation with the enemy; now and again companies were quartered there, but they were only waiting for a deployment in the south. Ultimately, the fortress served mainly as a weapons and ammunition depot for the Italian military until 2003.

yes you can do a tour with guide too