Overseas Walks: Italy’s Alpe Adria Trail links Sal zburg to the Adriatic Coast
Four centuries ago Aquileia was a Roman frontier town, gateway to the territories of the Istria Peninsula, Friulia and what is now Slovenia. The Julian Alps were named after Emperor Julius Caesar who annexed these lands to the glorious Roman empire.
Today the Alpe Adria walking and cycling trail links Austria in the north at Salzburg and Villach and winds through the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy to the Adriatic coast at Grado.
This ‘mountains to the sea’ route, on wellconstructed paths, has opened up the territory once colonised by the Romans, more recently ruled by the Austro-Hungarian empire and now returned to Italy so walkers and cyclists can explore the wealth of history and culture while enjoying beautiful landscapes.
A weeklong walk on this trail starts in Tarvisio, a mountain village and winter ski resort or Villach If cycling. Trails start with this alpine back drop skirting silent sparkling lakes and on forest paths.
In these mountains the famous Montasio cheese is still produced by hand on farms where the cows are in the next meadow. Cultural and historical heritage is important to the people of this area and can be seen in the charming mountain chalets where artistry, wood carving and furniture are still created as they have been for centuries.
Amongst these mountains and towards the sea, are remnants of a more recent time; bunkers, tunnels and gun placements from World War l.
They are a striking contrast to the magnificent medieval churches found in Aquillaea and the incredible church
in Venosa that was decimated by an earthquake in 1946. It was rebuilt with original stone that was collected from the rubble and carefully catalogued to return it to its’ previous magnificence.
One of the best stops on the route is Cividale, a treasure trove of art and UNESCO World Heritage Site which was founded in 53BC by Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor and later became the capital of the first Lombard duchy in the region.
The town’s landmark is the outstanding Devil’s Bridge, 20m high which spans the Natisone River over an impressive gorge. It was originally built in the 15th century and rebuilt in 1918 after it was bombed.
Discover the Old Town whose cathedral contains outstanding examples of Lombard art, wander the lanes where ancient buildings line attractive squares and marvel at the frescoes on the ancient church of Santi Petro e Biagio.
The walking trails have some undulations especially in the hilly wine region of Gorizia Collio which straddles the border between western Slovenia and northeastern Italy.
Nearby is the border town of Gorizia where Italy and Slovenia meet. You can quite easily cross from one to the other without knowing. It wasn’t always like this. Gorizia had its’ version of the Berlin Wall erected in 1947 which divided the Italian part of the town from the Slovenian. It was the last wall dividing Eastern and Western Europe which came down in 2004.
Gorgeous hamlets nestle between vine-clad hills. Collio has been referred to as “the best Italian wine region you’ve never heard of”. The DOC wines are primarily white, such as pinot bianco, malvasia, pinot grigio plus the surprising ‘schiopetto’ that is only produced in this region.
The medieval village of Cormons is the regional wine capital where great wines are matched with great regional cuisine.
There are many wineries in the area who welcome visitors, however in Cormons you can stop off at the Enoteca (wine bar) Regionale di Cormons and try wines from 34 neighbouring producers.
From the highest hills of this charm- ing landscape catch sight of the summits of the Julian Alps and in the distance the Dolomites. The countryside flattens out as you approach the turquoiseblue Isonzo River valley and Gradisca d’Isonzo, considered one of the Most Beautiful Towns of Italy.
The landscape here turns to calciferous, rocky Karst terrain dotted with colourful Mediterranean vegetation. As the coast comes closer you walk or cycle through the expansive Grado lagoon, a wonderland for birdlife and imported
Italy’s Alpe Adria Trail
Camargue wild horses whose purpose is to keep the vegetation down.
Among the wetlands of the estuary are hidden hides to observe the birdlife of swans, egrets, water fowl and pretty flamingos to name a few.
On reaching the beach resort of Grado, nature finishes and you are in a holiday town where brightly coloured loungers and beach umbrellas line the beach. There’s a pretty canal and marina with sailing boats plus an atmospheric Old Town which are the highlights. In the distance are the mountains of the Julian Alps.
Grado is also where the Adria cycle path which starts in Rimini, convenes with the Alpe Adria trail making it possible to extend your Alpe Adria cycle tour all the way to the beautiful coastal city of Trieste. The cycle path is not consistent the whole way and gives way to busy streets in the commercial town of Monfalcone. However, it resumes on the other side to bring you to the magnificent 19th century castle of Miramare built on a promontory on the sea some 5 kms before Trieste.
The real attraction of this striking white stone landmark is the interior which is an excellent representation of the artistic tastes of Maximillian and his wife Princess Charlotte of Belgium.
Walkers wishing to add Trieste to their itinerary can take a ferry from Grado between the months of June to September and be in the heart of the city in the Piazza Unita, the biggest seafront square of any city in Europe. This majestic square has splendid palaces on three sides.
Houses tumble down the surrounding hillsides to the port. Hike up a hill to visit the most important site of the ca-