Ham Tour-San Daniele

STRASSWIRT - Tarvisio - Pontebba - San Daniele - Tolmezzo - Paluzza - Kötschach-Mauthen - STRASSWIRT

Known far and wide for its market, a stop in Tarvisio for a cappuccino and tiramisu is worthwhile right at the start of the tour. The DAWID snack station directly on the route (shortly after the centre of Tarvisio) is a good place to stop for a snack.

The route then continues through the 23 km long Canal Valley (Val Canale), which separates the Carnic Alps from the Julian Alps and the Karawanken. And where all three major European language families - Germanic, Romanic and Slavic - meet directly and have lived together for centuries. A constellation that is unrivalled anywhere else in Europe!

The next destination is Pontebba. This is where the Italian-Austrian border ran until 1919.

The route continues via Dogna (a detour into the Dogna Valley is well worth a visit) and Moggio Udinese (badly hit by the 1976 earthquake) to the lavender town of Venzone.

Via Osoppo then takes you, partly along the Tagliamento river, to the ham town of San Daniele del Friuli - the place of origin of the world-famous air-dried San Daniele ham (Prosciutto di San Daniele). Every year, 25 producers here produce over 2.6 million legs of ham, which must weigh at least 11kg!

After this stop, the route heads north again and crosses the 954 metre high, barely used Sella Chianzutan (a former mountain race track). Here you cross Verzegnis (famous for its red marble) and the Lago di Verzegnis reservoir, which is well worth seeing.

A short detour "for those who wish" turns west at Tolmezzo to Villa Santina and right at Ovaro to Monte Zoncolan. With an average gradient of 11.5 %, this ascent is considered one of the toughest climbs in cycling and is often ridden in the Giro d'Italia.

The route continues down the valley to Paluzza and over the 1357 m high Plöcken Pass (the Plöcken Pass Geotrail is very interesting). Here you reach Carinthia again.

Via Kötschach-Mauthen you cycle through the Upper Gailtal valley back to the Strasswirt.