The Castellieri del Friuli Loop (R068)

This route begins at the Basiliano train station and winds through an area that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In Variano, it runs alongside the San Leonardo hill, home to the castelliere—a typical Bronze Age (2300–1100 B.C.) fortified settlement protected by earthen ramparts, stones, and wooden stakes, within which communities of herders, hunters, and farmers lived. On the outskirts of Udine, in the village of Bonavilla, you’ll cycle through the nature reserve of the Prati della Piana di Bertrando biotope. Heading west, you’ll reach the vicinity of the Castelliere di Savalons, one of the largest and best-preserved fortified settlements, where you can now stop and rest in the shade at the equipped rest area. Along the route, you can spot other traces of fortified settlements with their partial earthworks. In the village of Tomba, there is a “tùmbare”—a burial mound that serves as a funerary monument, consisting of a small hill of earth up to 7 meters high and with a diameter of about 30 meters.