From Rome to the Alps: The battles to break the Gothic Line with Orvieto, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Bologna, Verona, and Lake Garda, Italy . . .

Tour Highlights:
• Overnight in amazing Hotels throughout our Tour (mostly 4-Star with great view)
• Overnight in an authentic historic hotel near the town of Orvieto in Umbria
• Explore the wonderful Renaissance beauty of Florence on our Guided City Tour
• Gothic Line Battlefield Tours at Monte Altuzzo, Giogo Pass and Borgo a Mozzano
• Tour the 10th Mountain Division's infamous Hill Towns, Riva Ridge and Belvedere
• Discover 442nd Regimental Combat Team battle sites along the Ligurian Coast
• Enjoy Verona and see where the final battles in Italy were fought near Lake Garda
• Experience counts! We have operated World War II Tours in Italy for over 20 years

The battle for Sicily, the subsequent landings in Salerno, and the fighting at Cassino and Anzio are only half of the story - Alpventures Battleground Italy Tour (North) completes the history of the Italian Campaign.

Starting from Rome, we will continue north into beautiful Tuscany, Lombardy and the Ligurian Coast - including battlefield sites around Florence, Lucca, and Bologna all the way to the Alps. Our aim with this tour is to recognize and honor the various units that continued the fight in northern Italy. The valiant heroics of smaller, specialized units like the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the 10th Mountain Division cannot be overstated. We will honor these brave men and many others by visiting significant monuments and memorials located in their areas of operation.

Highlights of the Battleground Italy Tour (North) include three days touring the Gothic Line battlefield around Florence; with exceptional museums, wonderful hotels and great meals. On the first night of the tour, we overnight in an early 12th century Benedictine monastery near Orvieto. But even before that, we'll begin the trip with a brief summary of the military and political situation in Italy when Rome was finally captured. The defense of Italy was up to the Germans - and they continued their fighting retreat up the peninsula determined to make the allied advance as difficult as possible. Their wartime strategy will be explained at Field Marshall Albert Kesselring's former military headquarters - located in an underground bunker north of Rome.

We'll spend four glorious days in the area of Florence, with battlefield tours of important Gothic Line sites as well as some very special museums that focus on the units involved. A day and a half is dedicated to 10th Mountain Division sites; including the infamous Hill Towns around Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere. We'll also have a full day on the scenic Ligurian Coast to visit sites connected to the "most decorated regiment in U.S. military history," the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT). We will explore the location where the 442nd RCT crossed the Arno River at Pisa (of course we'll have time for photos at the leaning tower), and we'll see Monte Folgorito near the sea, where the regiment suffered such high casualties in the fight to break the Gothic Line.

Discover the Florence American Cemetery, and enjoy a Guided Tour of the historic old town of Florence with free time for shopping or sightseeing. Our last three nights of the tour will be spent in the area of Bologna; where we will visit the Liberation Museum (dedicated to the end of the Italian Campaign) and the historical center of Bologna. We complete our tour of Northern Italy with a stop in charming town of Verona (Romeo and Juliet) and spend time at beautiful Lake Garda near the Italian Alps (optional boat cruise on Lake Garda). The tour completes with a transfer to Bologna airport for your return flight home.

Battleground Italy Tour (North) requires a good amount of physical activity with plenty of walking; so you will need to bring comfortable walking shoes. As many of the memorial sites are in the mountains, there may be some optional hikes available for those tour members who wish to see more of the battlefield - should they choose to climb / go further. 

OCTOBER 11: IN FLIGHT - to Rome (FCO) Airport

OCTOBER 12: KESSELRING'S HEADQUARTERS
Arrival this morning at Rome Fiumicino Airport; or continue on from Alpventures Battleground Italy Tour (South). Meet your Tour Guide and driver, and continue today north of Rome to visit Field Marshall Albert Kesselring's wartime headquarters at Bunker Soratte. In September 1943, the German commander established his "Supreme Southern Command" headquarters at Soratte. For about ten months, the underground tunnels served as an important secret command center for the Germans. Lunch en route. Continue north this afternoon to our first hotel, a 12th century Benedictine Abbey near Orvieto. Check in and relax before our welcome dinner tonight. Overnight Orvieto. (D)

OCTOBER 13: PUSH TO THE GOTHIC LINE
Today after breakfast and check out, we head to beautiful Tuscany, where we will be near the majestic city of Florence for the next four nights. Lunch en route. This afternoon we will visit our first Gothic Line sites; to see where the 34th, 85th, 88th, and 91st Infantry Divisions first cracked the line in the center, opening the way over the Futa and Giogo mountain passes. Explore the impressive Museum of the Gothic Line at Ponzalla. Here we will get an introduction to the history of the Gothic Line, its builders, the Todt Organization, and the U.S. II Corps attack at Giogo Pass. Late afternoon transfer to our hotel for check in and dinner. Overnight Florence. (B, D)

OCTOBER 14: BREAKING THE GOTHIC LINE
Breaking the line was not easy - the fighting in the center was long and costly. After breakfast we will tour the Gothic Line in the western sector, where the newly arrived 10th Mountain Division began to move into positions in preparation for their mid-February 1945 attack on several high peaks southwest of Bologna. We will enjoy a Battlefield Tour of the Mediavalle area of the Serchio river, and visit the "Devil's Bridge" at Borgo a Mozzano. This area includes the best preserved German bunkers and shelters along the entire Gothic Line. Continue to Lucca for lunch and some free time this afternoon, before we visit the Italian Resistance Museum (Lucca). Transfer back to our hotel near Florence for dinner. Overnight Florence. (B, D)

OCTOBER 15: THE OLD TOWN OF FLORENCE
Similar to Rome, the city of Florence was mostly spared from the ravages of war. Today, we will spend the day in Florence, starting with a morning visit to the Florence American Cemetery, where over 4,400 soldiers lie to rest. After exploring the cemetery and memorial, we will continue into the city center for a lunch break. This afternoon, we will enjoy a Guided Tour of the old town of Florence, seeing the most significant sights such as the historic Ponte Vecchio (only bridge over the Arno not destroyed by the Germans) and Brunelleschi's architectural Renaissance masterpiece, Il Duomo (Florence Cathedral). The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure in Florence with dinner on your own. Overnight Florence. (B)

OCTOBER 16: "GO FOR BROKE" - 442ND RCT
Breakfast. Today is dedicated to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) - the regiment is best known as the most decorated in U.S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry who fought in World War II (the Nisei soldiers). Our first stop will be where the 442nd RCT crossed the Arno River at Pisa. We include some time for plenty of photos of the leaning tower of Pisa, before we continue up the Ligurian Coast for more battle sites of the 442nd RCT. We will pay our respects to the unit at the Nisei Monument in Pietrasanta, where we'll hear the story of Medal of Honor recipient, PFC Sadao S. Munemori. See the infamous Mt. Folgorito - where the 442nd RCT sustained such heavy casualties making their attack to seize the mountain. (If time permits, we will also visit the inland villages of Tendola and Aulla - where LT Daniel K. Inouye was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor on April 21, 1945. Return to hotel. Overnight Florence. (B)

OCTOBER 17: "CLIMB TO GLORY" - 10TH MD
Breakfast and hotel check-out this morning. Today we will continue our historical journey through Northern Italy by continuing north towards Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region. Our focus today will be the Hill Towns and area of operations for the 10th Mountain Division. Originally formed as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the U.S. military to receive specialized training for fighting in mountainous conditions. Our first stops will be the area where the 10th Mountain Division bivouacked in preparation for their attack up Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere; passing through the mountain villages of La Piastre, Prunetta, Campo Tizzoro and Lizzano in Belvedere. See the 10th Mountain Division Monument in Querciola and enjoy a rustic lunch on the battlefield (included). This afternoon we continue our battlefield tour of 10th Mountain Division sites with a stop at Iola, where we will see some original fortifications and visit the local military museum. Afternoon transfer back to our hotel near Bologna for check-in and dinner tonight. Overnight Bologna. (B, D)

OCTOBER 18: PUSH TO THE PO RIVER VALLEY
After breakfast this morning, we will start with a visit to the Liberation Museum in Bologna (Ansaloni Museum). This impressive museum houses a large collection of items presented in five principal episodes from the war, which are faithfully reconstructed with original vehicles, uniforms and weapons (with sound and light effects). The perfect place to wind down our tour, the museum is focused on the liberation of Bologna and the end of the Italian Campaign. Around 50 restored American, British, German and Italian military vehicles are on display. Lunch. Afternoon transfer into the historic city center of Bologna with free time for optional sightseeing and/or shopping. Late afternoon transfer back to our hotel. Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight Bologna. (B)

OCTOBER 19: THE FINAL BATTLES IN ITALY
Breakfast. Today we will have a full day excursion north to beautiful Lake Garda, located at the edge of the Italian Alps. Our first stop will be in Verona - the enchanting setting for Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet." Free time for lunch in the charming old town, which boasts a 14th century residence which is said be “Juliet’s House," and the spectacular 1st century Roman amphitheater (Verona Arena). This afternoon we will continue west to nearby Lake Garda, where some of the final battles of the Italian Campaign were fought (10th Mountain Division). Visit the preserved medieval village of Sirmione, with time for an optional boat ride on Lake Garda. Transfer back to our hotel. Farewell Dinner. Overnight Bologna. (B, D)

OCTOBER 20: IN FLIGHT - from Bologna (BLQ) Airport

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Cancellation Policy:
Although Tour cancellations are not anticipated, Alpventures® reserves the right to cancel Tours for any reason, prior to Tour departure date, in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on Alpventures® part. In the case of Tour Participant cancellation, a full refund will be granted up to 30 days prior to Tour departure. A cancellation fee of 20% of the Tour price will be charged for cancellations between 30 and 20 days prior to departure date and 40% between 20 and 10 days prior to departure. No refunds will be honored within 10 days of Tour.

Whether on the battlefield, or inside the impressive museums, you won't miss a thing as we give exciting, detailed accounts and informative historical lectures throughout each Tour. From the D-Day beaches of Normandy, to Hitler's Eagles Nest and beyond, our top priorities are your safety, comfort and enjoyment on Tour. Alpventures® World War II Tours are the result of over 25 years of historical research and first-hand, local guiding experience, making them especially unique.  Read More

"The Tour was FABULOUS! I loved every minute of it! Getting to some of those places on one's own would be a tough proposition, but with your help and expertise, it was a breeze ...everything was just super!" - Hugh H.