|
|
|
B5
|
Gorizia » Castelmonte / Stara Gora
|
|
The trail crosses the wetlands around Preval passing Mossa and Capriva del Friuli to reach Cormòns, city of the so-called Wine of Peace. Beyond the hamlet of Brazzano, Albana has a remarkable castle. Through fields of chestnut trees and broad pastures the trail climbs onwards to Castelmonte Abbey.
Detailed route description
From Gorizia the trail heads through the marshlands of Preval, where a large number of bird species pass through. It passes the villages of Mossa and Capriva del Friuli to reach Cormons (104m). The city of Vino della Pace (wine of peace), Cormòns is situated in the best part of the Collio, an area entirely given up to the growing of grapes for fine wines such as Tokay and Ribolla Gialla. At the hamlet of Brazzano and the tiny church of San Giorgio, with its unusual square bell-tower, the trail then descends into the valley of the Judrio stream. Trail 748 passes Vencò, Lonzano, Mernicco and Albana, with its beautiful castle, to reach the Abbey of Castelmonte (618m), which sits on top of an outcrop, commanding views over the Cividale del Friuli plain. The detour into the town of Cividale del Friuli is a must, to admire the vestiges of the town built by the Dukes of the Longobardo dynasty, described by Paolo Diacono in his Historia Longobardorum.
(Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia)
Natural and cultural heritage
Along this stage is the shrine to Mary at Castelmonte, an old fortified abbey. The rural architecture along the entire ridge of the Giulian Alpine foothills is unusual, as are the many stone churches. There are numerous possible routes that follow the old farmers’ mountain tracks and the trails used by pilgrims, through beautiful chestnut and beech woods. The visitor will also be pleasantly surprised at the cuisine. The Preval swamps are also of interest. A huge variety of bird species find refuge and sustenance in these rich lands as they pass through. At Albana there are the remains of a castle. From here it is possible to take a detour to Cividale del Friuli. The cuisine in this area is that of poor, simple people, heavily influenced by Slav traditions, which has lead to interesting twists on tasty traditional dishes. There is a traditional pudding that dates back to the Middle Ages known as gubana. Fruit flavoured spirits are also a local speciality.
(Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia)
Useful topographic maps
-
041 ~ TABACCO (1:25000)
-
L'alta via delle Valli del Natisone ~ Club Alpino Italiano - Sezione di Cividale del Friuli (1:50000)
-
088 ~ Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM) (1:50000)
-
067 ~ Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM) (1:50000)
Picture gallery
Last update : 2009-12-03
|
7h30 |
15.5 km
|
669 m
|
201 m
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.