Biking Friuli with a Campervan

Jasper Jauch wanted to go somewhere he’d never been before – a place that was unknown, new, and wild. He chose Friuli, the great unknown of northeastern Italy. It’s an untamed beauty nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, untouched by crowds, traffic, and queues. Instead, it’s rich with trails and diverse landscapes.

Even though Adventure Crew member Jasper Jauch is constantly on “business trips” as a bike pro – in a way a camping pro, too – he had never looked to the far northeast of Italy. And thus, he had no idea what might be waiting for him at the border of Carinthia and Slovenia: a unique region between the Alps and the Adriatic, where nature is wild, the wine is vibrant, and the trails are secluded.

“You just drive over the Brenner Pass. There is South Tyrol and then you head straight towards Lake Garda. You don’t even look left or right. Your gaze is fixed straight ahead. The Italian east is severely underrated.”

When Jasper was talking to his biking buddy Eric Haufe about his craving for something new, Eric brought up the treat of Friuli. It’s more or less Eric’s job to let his eyes wander. As the head of Ride Alpine Trails, he is always exploring mountain regions off the usual biking radar.

At the heart of Friuli is Udine, with about 100,000 inhabitants, palaces and piazzas, a cathedral and a castle, arcades and osterias. “Simply unbelievably beautiful,” Jasper says. “Udine is bursting with clichéd Italian beauty.” South toward the sea, the landscape flattens out, but to the north, the Carnic Alps and the Friulian Dolomites rise high.

“We were here for five days, and every day was different. Friuli is incredibly varied. The landscape reminds me of Lake Garda, but it spreads out in a beautiful way. There are many side valleys with small villages. So, you don’t have this one view of one specific lake, but countless views, always different, always fresh.”

The Region

We started in the area around San Pietro al Natisone: about 25 kilometers east of Udine, near the Slovenian border. It was wild and forested there, as Friuli often is. We also had fun on Monte Mladesiena with its tight tree runs.

And we had incredible experiences on Monte Paularo in northern Friuli, near the border with Carinthia. It’s a lonely, unbelievable landscape. We first had to fight our way up via an old military road, and in the end, we had to push and carry our bikes (a warning to anyone with an e-MTB). But we had killer, mind-blowing views – before heading down one of the most exposed and one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever ridden.

Then we moved to the tri-border area in the west around Pattoco, Chiusaforte, and Tavirs. There are also many military roads that take you to the top – which gets you thinking, especially nowadays. You can feel a hint of the suffering and the cruelty that the people here must have experienced. Democracy is fragile.

But of course, we also soaked up the incredibly beautiful nature with its massive mountains, many rivers, and deep green forests. On top of that, the people in Friuli are super nice, and the trails once again hold everything: from soft forest to rocks and roots, from narrow and tight to wide and flowing, from high alpine to meadows – anything but boring.

CAMPSITE TIPS:

Friuli is perfect for campers. Relaxed, welcoming and no fights for tiny pitches. And you will meet adventure-types…

Spot 1: We camped in a meadow west of San Pietro and south of Parco di Vernasso on Via Natisone. It was a fantastic location close to the river, with pools to dip in.

Spot 2: About 50 kilometers northwest of San Pietro is a very, very cool campsite on Lago di Alesso. It’s also perfect if you’re up to trying windsurfing or sailing.

Spot 3: From Alesso, we headed 30 kilometers to the northeast, where we parekd right at one of the many side branches of the Fella River, a classic destination for paddlers.