The journey of Benedetto takes us along a beautiful road that from Cividale del Friuli reaches Selva di Tarnova in Slovenia. The territory of Tarnova is typically popular with Italian walkers and its territories face towards Italy. Selva di Tarnova is a karst plateau offering breathtaking views and beautiful trekking paths, also recommended for beginners.
Cividale del Friuli instead is a town rich in history and traditions, to be discovered. Cividale is part of the province of Udine, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, an undervalued and often forgotten region, despite its rich naturalistic territories. The two locations are separated by about an hour of road and can be reached from three different routes, all three on fast provincial roads.
Route stops
Benedetto’s journey begins in Cividale del Friuli, a beautiful town located in the east of the province of Udine, and ends in Selva di Tarnova in Slovenia. The journey is really short, about an hour by car ranging from 45 to 50 kilometers, depending on the chosen route. The distance between the two locations is so small that it can be safely covered even on foot (in several stages) or by bike, a method used by many. Selva di Tarnova is not located too high and can easily be explored.
Cividale del Friuli
Cividale del Friuli, despite its small size and its relatively low number of inhabitants, about 11 thousand, has a wonderful internal structure and is a respectable and peaceful town, and we recommend you visit at least some of its attractions:
- The Devil’s Bridge, symbol of the city
- The Longobard Temple, which is the best preserved historical evidence belonging to the Longobard era, and a UNESCO heritage
- The Celtic hypogeum, for a journey underground between alleys and mystery
What to do in Cividale? Where to eat? Where to stay?
Cividale del Friuli is a quiet location. It is therefore possible to spend a peaceful holiday without spending too much. The average price for a 3-star hotels is around € 78 a night for a double room, but the costs are even less if you travel in a group or prefer a B & B or slightly cheaper accommodation. As in the rest of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the internal transport network offers an excellent service, even if Benedetto has preferred to use his own vehicle to enjoy the beauty of the places at 360 °.
The typical dishes of Cividale are the same as those of Udine. In Udine fowl is a favourite food, very less so in the rest of Italy. To taste the excellent royal roast duck, or even pheasant and guinea fowl, specialties of the area, you can visit restaurants such as Al Monastero or the Antico Leon D’oro, both famous for their dishes. Both guarantee excellent quality dishes and have their roots in the past, since they both boast a long history.
Selva di Tarnova
Selva di Tarnova is a karstic plateau popular with Italian walkers, which belongs precisely to the city of Tarnova, in Slovenia. The tangible proximity to Italy, combined with the fact that all the landscapes of the Selva face towards the beautiful country, makes it one of the favorite destinations both by Italians themselves and by lovers of trekking around the world who love to see the wonders offered by Italy.
In addition, the difference in height between the slopes and the highest peak is not much: this makes Selva di Tarnova a perfect place both for lovers of trekking and for cross-country skiers. It has only one flaw: the bora wind, which runs through it incessantly at certain times of the year and makes it really difficult to discover. However, for many months of the year the Selva di Tarnova remains an ideal destination for walkers or, even for motorcycle enthusiasts, for road trips or mountain biking.