Milano Marittima, a journey through history between youth camps and bunkers

Between Cervia and Milano Marittima, there are numerous German bunkers dating back to World War II; they vary in type depending on their intended function.

• Start with the Circolo Nautico on Via Leoncavallo, where you can see a well-preserved Tobruk bunker inside the club’s garden. Tobruk bunkers were underground structures with an emergency exit and a circular opening in the roof, from which a machine gun or mortar could be operated.
  In this case, both openings of the bunker have been bricked up, and the structure is visible only from the outside.
• Continuing along the waterfront, you’ll come across other bunkers, including a Regelbau 668-type bunker with an attached Tobruk bunker, connected by a semi-underground corridor. Inside the Regelbau—currently the only one open to visitors—furnishings have been reconstructed and objects added that allow visitors to imagine what life was like for the soldiers. Furthermore, on one wall, there is a preserved mural from that era featuring a quote by the German poet Schiller: “It is dangerous to awaken the lion; the tiger’s fang is fatal, but the most terrifying thing of all is man in his madness!”
  You can tour the interior through organized guided tours.
• Walking along the seafront, you’ll also come across distinctive reinforced concrete structures known as the “Dragon’s Teeth.” Together with the bunkers, they were designed to repel attacks from the sea: built of concrete and iron, their pyramidal shape was particularly effective at halting the advance of tanks.

Starting from the center of Milano Marittima and walking along Viale Matteotti, you’ll come across two summer camps with imposing structures that exemplify the Futurist and Rationalist architecture typical of the years leading up to World War II. Located between the pine forest and the sea, they were intended for the children of workers at the time, as part of a public health program designed to ensure the well-being of children and adolescents.

• The Varese Summer Camp is located between XIX and XXII Traversa. The monumental building consists of two side wings and a central grid structure supporting the original staircases; from above, it resembles a seaplane. Through the skeletal structure, you can catch a glimpse of the horizon over the sea. The Dune of the Colonia Varese, on the other hand, is currently undergoing conservation efforts: a naturalistic study is also underway, aimed at gathering scientific information on the condition and state of preservation of the existing vegetation and habitats. Once used as a film set, it is now completely abandoned.
• The Montecatini Summer Camp is located between XXIV and XXV Traversa. The facility was designed to serve the needs of camp life: it provided adequate spaces for daily activities, following a strict routine that included marching, the flag-raising ceremony, saluting, calisthenics, physical education, and political instruction.
  There were buildings for medical care, kitchens, a dining hall, a laundry facility, guest rooms, classrooms, libraries, a large recreational area, and a church. 
  It was characterized above all by an impressive 50-meter-high staircase and a large entrance arch—imposing architectural elements in keeping with the ideology of the time.

The two "colonia" summer camps are not currently open to visitors.

Curiosity

The unique setting of the abandoned Varese summer camp building has served as the backdrop for more than one film set. In particular, some scenes from *Zeder*, a 1983 horror film by Pupi Avati starring Gabriele Lavia, and from *Troppo sole*, a 1994 comedy film by Giuseppe Bertolucci starring Sabina Guzzanti, were filmed within its walls.

On the way back to the starting point of the itinerary, as you walk along Viale Vittorio Veneto, you can see several bunkers along the canal, some located within private gardens, and in a few cases incorporated into the buildings.

At the intersection with Via Oriani, you can see a Tobruk-type bunker. It can only be viewed from the outside; the interior is not open to the public.