Friuli Venezia Giulia

Conveniently located as a point of connection between the Alps and the Adriatic coast, the region offers a wide array of stunning and fast-changing landscapes. Peaceful forests, rough peaks and legendary trails in the mountains, and calm lagoons or rocky cliffs, rising sheer from the sea, along the coast. And in between, the beautiful Tagliamento river, the gentle vine-clad hills, and the vast rolling plains made from reclaimed land. Rural villages and heritage towns await you all along the route, to pamper you with the best of local food and wine.

Whether you love speed or a slow pace, whether you are a dreamer or a darer, whether you travel alone or with your family, you will easily find your ideal itinerary! For tips and advice, and for more information, visit www.turismofvg.it.

A mountain bike is the perfect way to move around the beautiful Carnia, and enjoy its unspoilt nature and its wonderful landscapes. A dense network of roads and routes will get you anywhere, from traditional villages to the mountaintops. Ancient trails with suggestive names wind their way through peaceful meadows, among lovely little lakes and streams, all the way to the mountain huts where you will be treated to the genuine and hearty food of local cuisine. Well-trained and more expert cyclists may challenge themselves on more demanding routes with sharp climbs and steep descents, such as the iconic Monte Zoncolan, which has featured in the Giro d’Italia multiple times.

The Alpe Adria cycle route crosses the entire region from north to south, leading you past a stunning variety of landscapes. The complexity and the gradients in the northern part of the route are suitable for anyone, but there are also spectacular MTB trails unfolding over the borders between Italy, Austria and Slovenia. Continuing towards the coast, you will be plunging into history and legend, with 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites awaiting you along the route: Cividale del Friuli, the Lombard capital; Palmanova, the star-shaped fortress town; and Aquileia, one of the major archaeological sites in Italy, with its marvellous Roman and Early Christian mosaics.

In the area of Pordenone, bicycle enthusiasts will find plenty of routes and trails, winding their way through an endless variety of landscapes, from water springs (“risorgive”) to the flood plain (“Magredi”), across the mediaeval atmosphere of the land of mosaics, all the way to the verdant meadows at the foot of the Dolomiti Friulane, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you want to explore Udine, just hop on your bicycle. The city is indeed very bike-friendly, and you can also move around using audio guides that will take you on a spectacular journey through Venetian architecture and Tiepolo’s masterworks. The gentle, hilly landscape of the Friuli Collinare, with its beautiful castles, is just a few kilometres away from the city. And if you are a foodie, make sure you stop in San Daniele del Friuli to treat your taste buds to the iconic, exquisite prosciutto.

Lying between the Collio and the Carso, and crossed by the Isonzo river, Gorizia and its surroundings offer a lovely and peaceful scenery. The vine-clad gentle hills are home to wine houses and wineries producing some of the finest white wines worldwide, and full-bodied red wines. This area was also a major battlefield during the Great War, and considerable heritage of that time has survived to date. Trenches and walkways can easily be reached also by bike, taking you on a journey through history and the landscape at once.

Nature and history combined make the Karst Plateau a unique environment, waiting to be discovered. Cycling enthusiasts can take breath-taking tours through the coniferous forests, enjoy the contrasting landscape of white rocks and blue sea, and take a pleasant break in the traditional taverns found in the Carso area, known as osmizze.

Cycling and sailing are the perfect means to explore the stretch of coast that is included in the route of the Adriabike, the cross-border cycling network connecting Ravenna and Kranjska Gora (Slovenia). Grado has been a famous holiday resort since the Habsburg Empire, and is now the final stage of the Alpe Adria cycle route. Move around the modern seaside town of Lignano Sabbiadoro by bike to discover and explore all the entertainment opportunities and the bustling nightlife of the summertime. Twenty kilometres of cycle tracks will take you easily, quickly and safely across and around the town, whereas the lagoon and its delicate ecosystem, with several nature reserves, can be explored by boat.