Ciclovia Alpe-Adria - Stage 4

Villach - Tarvisio (38km) - Once again, the weather frog determined the schedule, although on this day it seemed like everything was already lost. So, we said goodbye to Villach late in the morning and also a little bit to Austria, with a heavy heart. This country is becoming more and more one of our favorites in Europe: hospitality, great value for money, excellent gastronomy with outstanding wines, and of course, the varied landscape make the stay a very pleasant experience.

Nevertheless, we still wanted to reach our destination in Italy, and for that, we had to overcome a few more altitude meters. We pedaled along the Drau River for a short distance until we reached the outskirts and crossed the Peace Bridge to the Gail River (yes, that's its real name) and followed it for some time. Contrary to our worst fears, we were actually able to cover the first 20 km dry, and after some climbs and descents, we reached Arnoldstein, where we were greeted by a refreshing rain shower. A short break in a cafe and once the situation had calmed down a bit, we continued along the main road on a separate cycle path, steadily climbing up to the border in Coccau Valico. Oh, and in the meantime, it was pouring rain again. I had imagined my first arrival in Italy after over 3 years of abstaining a bit differently! By the way, there are no border officials here, but we were scrutinized by a border cat.

Right next to the customs, it goes steeply uphill - something completely new - and you reach the cycle path there, which meanders along the mountain slope with some ups and downs (that's also the sensation of the day). All of this would be beautiful, but the persistent shitty weather is really starting to annoy us, and we have already seen enough of the gray, misty mountain landscapes. Maybe we'll come back in summer.

In any case, a few kilometers before Tarvisio, you reach the route of the old railway line, which then becomes the Alpe-Adria cycle path, and it's really cool to pass by old, dilapidated station buildings and track keeper's houses. When we arrived in Tarvisio, the light rain had turned into pouring rain, so once again we arrived at the hotel already freshly showered.

The dinner on the cozy terrace of a pizzeria brought back memories of the partial lockdown this spring when only the outdoor areas of restaurants were open and the temperatures felt similar to freezing as they did on this evening in Tarvisio. And so, another summer evening ends in front of the inspiring backdrop of low-hanging mist and street lamps reflecting in the wet asphalt.