Montanevie is a series of ancient paths, including connecting and intertwining trails found along the first mountain belt in the province of Pordenone: a long arch that stretches between Cansiglio di Caneva to the west and river Arzino to the east, all within the Carnic Prealps, partly dominating the Friulian plain with great panoramic views partly offering detailed views of the surrounding mountains and valleys crossed, among endless woods and terraces hosting towns and hamlets, some of which are authentic treasures of spontaneous architecture.
This piedmont route has been travelled ever since the Stone Age as documented by the archaeological finds of Busa di Villotta on Piancavallo, the Pradis Caves and the Bus da li Anguani on Mount San Lorenzo.
The itinerary stretching for about 80 km has great environmental value and may become the driving force for promoting and spreading knowledge about the territory not only to “foreigners” but also to the residents of the whole Friuli Venezia Giulia region: discovering diverse landscapes, environments and traditions a few kilometres away from home.
The interested area falls under thirteen municipalities located in the Mountain Community of Western Friuli.
For the purpose of clarity and territorial similarities, the path has been subdivided into six sections. Each section describes the itinerary and the tourist-environmental features of two municipalities (except for the fourth one that covers three municipalities). The Malga Coda del Bosco-Piancavallo route is unsurfaced hence fit for specialized cycling or walking, but also horseback riding and, in the wintertime, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The Piancavallo-Tagliamento valley route snakes on the existing paved low-traffic roads in order to provide a quiet environment to the tourists hiking through the Cellina, Colvera, Meduna and Cosa valleys, and going as far as the Arzino valley and river Tagliamento, alongside the Barcis and Tramonti Lakes. This itinerary, like the other itineraries marked on the maps, is part of a broader tourist and cultural project promoted by institutions, consortia and associations within the province of Pordenone, sometimes in an extremely innovative way like, for instance, the initiatives undertaken by the “Lis Aganis” Ecomuseum of the Friulian Dolomites which aim at protecting and rediscovering the “small assets” of our cultural, historical, environmental and craft heritage.
How to get there
From the Trieste-Venice motorway: exit at Portogruaro-Pordenone, continue towards Pordenone;
from Udine: follow the SS 464 road for Spilimbergo-Maniago;
from Tarvisio: A23 motorway, exit at Gemona-Osoppo, continue towards San Daniele-Pinzano
al Tagliamento or Spilimbergo;
from Gorizia: A4 and A23 motorways, exit at Udine Sud; or SS Gorizia-Udine; continue towards
Spilimbergo-Maniago on SS 464 road;
from the Venice-Belluno motorway: exit at Conegliano and continue towards Sacile or exit at
Ponte nelle Alpi and continue towards Valcellina.