Footsteps of WWII · Italy
German War Cemetery, Cassino (Caira)
Cemetery · 1943–1944 (opened 4 May 1965)
The story
About 3 km north of Cassino, on the southern foothills of Colle Marino, lies the largest German war cemetery in Italy. In 1959–1960 the Volksbund moved 20,076 German dead here from smaller cemeteries and field graves across the region, including the men who held the Gustav Line around Cassino and those who fought on the Garigliano and in the mountains. Around 3,100 graves have no name. The cemetery opened on 4 May 1965. In 2014 seven plaques were added in the memorial hall for 911 unidentified dead.
What to look for
Terraces and ellipses of graves climb the hillside, marked by stone crosses carrying several names each. The open-roofed, cube-shaped entrance building lights the sculpture 'Mourning and Consolation' by Suse Müller-Diefenbach. There is a small exhibition and wide views towards Monte Cassino.
Plan your visit
Free. Summer: Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, weekends and holidays 9:00–19:00; winter: daily 8:00–16:00. Parking at Piazza Marino Fardelli, Caira. Accessible. Check the Volksbund page before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Polish War Cemetery, Monte Cassino · 4 km
- Abbey of Monte Cassino · 5 km
- Cassino War Cemetery and Memorial (CWGC) · 6 km
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Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
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