Here is a rather long route (100 km/62 miles), but without too much difficulty with grade, and very interesting from a landscape perspective; leaving the FS train station at Udine get on the ring road (which has a bike lane alongside) as far as Via Cividale and head towards Cividale del Friuli, the ancient Forum Iulli which gave its name to the region [Friuli]; from here take the road through the Natisone valley [SS54], as far as the former Stupizza border station where you cross the border and arrive in Slovenia.
About 44 km/27 miles from Udine you arrive at Kobarid (Caporetto in Italian) a place-name for a famous battle of 1917; you should take the street to the left of the piazza to visit the museum of the Great War [World War I] (Kobariski muzej) and then continue to the Napoleonic bridge over the Isonzo, where there is a spectacular view of the river Isonzo (Soca), which here has the crystal-clear color of a mountain stream; cross the bridge and continue along the narrow and peaceful small road to the right with more spectacular views of the river. At Kamno turn right and cross the bridge returning to the state road [102] which is now somewhat busier with traffic; after a few km [7 km/4 1/2 miles] take the road to the right [103] towards Nova Gorica: there are numerous ups and downs as far as Kanal (Canale d’Istria) then follow along the Isonzo among place-names that recall the Great War (and for those who know Rome well, the streets in the Mazzini district …): Bainsizza, Oslavia, Vodice … concluding with Nova Gorica.
Here you come back to the border which had cut the city in two, sort of a small Berlin with its wall, but here only a chain-link fence; (the original center of town is entirely within Italian territory). Following the arrows to the city center you will find yourself along the former border fence as far as the piazza in front of the train station of the former Transalpine Railroad, perhaps the most visible place of the former division of the city: the train station is in Slovenia, the piazza was cut in half by the border, the road leading to the train station is in Italy (the piazza was reopened on 1 May 2004 on the occasion of Slovenia entering the European Union); from here a street with bike/pedestrian sections follows along the border even going through a short tunnel; at the end you are back in Italy where you can reach the FS train station of Gorizia.
Latest passage: 2004-08-15