With ten cycleways, bike paths, and dirt tracks, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers routes suitable for road bikes, gravel bikes, fat bikes, MTBs, and even city bikes—making it the perfect year-round destination for cycling enthusiasts.
Located at the crossroads of the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, the region boasts countless breathtaking landscapes. Tranquil forests, rugged peaks, and legendary trails await mountain bikers in the alpine areas, while serene lagoons and dramatic cliffs define the coastal landscape. In the heart of the region lies the majestic Tagliamento River, surrounded by rolling vineyard hills producing exceptional white wines, charming rural villages, and historic towns where visitors can immerse themselves in local culture, traditions, and regional culinary delights.
The Bicycle Routes of Friuli Venezia Giulia
Central to the region’s cycling tourism offerings are the numerous routes outlined in the Regional Plan for Cycling Mobility (PRe-MoCi). Adopted in 2022, this initiative positioned Friuli Venezia Giulia as one of the few Italian regions with a comprehensive cycling strategy, including detailed bike plans for 50 municipalities.
The cycle routes, each with their own peculiarities and characteristics, make it possible to explore the region by combining breathtaking scenery, culture, food and wine, and entertainment.
Alpe Adria Cycleway (FVG1)
The Alpe Adria Cycle Route (FVG 1), the crown jewel of the region’s cycling network, is one of Europe’s most acclaimed routes. It spans from the mountains to the lagoon, weaving through the region’s rich history, culture, and traditions.
A cross-border route which, joining Salzburg with Grado in 415 km, crosses the border of the Alps arriving at the Adriatic among breathtaking landscapes and places filled with history such as the UNESCO sites of Palmanova and Aquileia, the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy of Venzone and Strassoldo, and the city of Udine, cradle of Tiepolo’s treasures.
The Ciclovia Alpe Adria is a true concentrate of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where the proximity to other countries has given the area an international vocation that can be felt pedaling after pedaling. The Friuli Venezia Giulia stages of FVG1 are Tarvisio – Venzone – Udine – Grado: 175 km of satisfaction for two-wheelers.
Adriatic Sea Cycleway (FVG2)
Near Aquileia, FVG1 connects with Adriatic Sea Cycleway (FVG2), which links Trieste to Venice and intersects two major European cycling routes: Eurovelo 8, connecting Spain’s Cadiz to Athens, and the AdriaBike, starting in Slovenia (Kranjska Gora) and passing through Gorizia—set to become a European Capital of Culture in 2025 alongside Nova Gorica (Slovenia). The route continues to Trieste, Venice, and optionally to Padua and Ravenna.
The AdriaBike is the end point of the Munich-Venice cycle route and in Friuli Venezia Giulia joins Lignano Sabbiadoro with Trieste: a route along the coast through the UNESCO site of Aquileia, with the possibility of navigating some sections by sailing on boats equipped to transport bicycles.
The routes are Venice – Caorle – Lignano Sabbiadoro – Grado – Trieste for a total length of 260 km of which 136 km are in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Pedemontana Cycleway (FVG 3)
The cycle route runs at the foothills of the Pre-Alps through villages, towns with typical rural stone architecture and the wine-growing areas from which Friuli Venezia Giulia’s renowned white wines are made: from the Grave area to the DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli and Collio. The route has little elevation gain and is made up of bike lanes, easy dirt roads, and limited traffic roads.
This itinerary begins in Sacile, a well-known town referred to as the garden of the Serenissima, and ends in Gorizia, passing through the UNESCO site of Cividale del Friuli; while following the loops we reach the UNESCO site Palù di Livenza and some of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The stages of the FVG3 in Friuli Venezia Giulia are Sacile – Maniago – Gemona del Friuli – Cividale del Friuli – Gorizia for a total length of 180 km.
Tagliamento River Cycleway (FVG6)
An ideal trip to get to know Friuli Venezia Giulia is to follow the course of the Tagliamento River, the last great “natural” river in Europe. The FVG6 cycle route it skirts just the two sides of the so-called King of Rivers: starting from the Alpine town of Tolmezzo, the bicycle tourist can admire a wide variety of landscapes, from the Carnic Alps to the moraine hills of San Daniele del Friuli and the Friulian plain to the sea at Lignano Sabbiadoro.
The peculiarity of this cycle route is that it is composed of two parallel tracks separated by the river, which go to form a large loop that can be traveled in 6 days crossing different territories and resuming the car at the starting point. Stages along the right bank are Tolmezzo-Spilimbergo-San Vito al Tagliamento-Lignano Sabbiadoro for a total of 142 km, while those along the left bank are Tolmezzo-San Daniele del Friuli-Codroipo-Lignano Sabbiadoro for a total of 146 km.
Intermodality: sustainability in land travel
Friuli Venezia Giulia supports cyclists with public transportation options that accommodate bicycles. Year-round, Trenitalia regional trains offer dedicated spaces for bikes, as do the Udine-Cividale train and the Micotra service, which connects Udine to Villach in Austria twice daily. On weekends, Micotra also operates between Trieste and Villach.
In the summer season, the offer is expanded with the activation of BICIBUS and BICI+BARCA services, which connect the seaside resorts of Grado and Lignano Sabbiadoro to Trieste, Aquileia, Muggia, and Marano Lagunare. Lignano is connected to Bibione by the boat pass on the Tagliamento River.
For all information: https://www.turismofvg.it/en/bike?LangSetCMS=en
