HOW AND WHERE HOW A borderland, a land of emotions of land a borderland, A TRIESTE’S KARST TRIESTE’S AUSTRIA AUSTRIA Arta Terme Tarvisio A23 Tolmezzo Gemona SLOVENIA Dolomiti Friulane del Friuli Europa San Daniele Cividale Piancavallo del Friuli del Friuli Regione Spilimbergo Friuli Venezia Giulia UDINE SLOVENIA Palù di Livenza PORDENONE Italia Palmanova GORIZIA A28 A4 TREVISO Aeroporto FVG A4 Ronchi dei Legionari Aquileia VENEZIA SLOVENIA Lignano Grado TRIESTE Footpaths Sabbiadoro - Aquileia - - Dolomiti Friulane - - Cividale del Friuli - - Palù di Livenza - IO M NIO M ON U O UN ONIO MU NIO M M N IM D M N O UN I D R I D IM D R I T IA R I R T A T A T IA A L A L A L • A L • P P • P • • • P • W W • W W L L L L O O A O A A O A I I I R R I R R D D L L D L D L D D N N D N D N O O H O H H O Many are the paths to be followed on the territory of Trieste’s Karst, the main ones are shown on the H E M E M E M R R E M E I E R E R IT T N I I E A IN A I TA IN T N G O G O G O A I E • IM E • IM E • M G O PATR PATR PATRI E • PATRIM United Nations Archaeological Area and United Nations The Dolomites United Nations Longobards in Italy. United Nations Prehistoric Pile dwellings map. The two most significant and certainly best known are the Strada Napoleonica and the Rilke path. Educational, Scientific and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia Educational, Scientific and inscribed on the World Educational, Scientific and Places of the power (568-774 A.D.) Educational, Scientific and around the Alps Cultural Organization inscribed on the World Cultural Organization Heritage List in 2009 Cultural Organization inscribed on the World Cultural Organization inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998 Heritage List in 2011 Heritage List in 2011 The Strada Napoleonica extends put theirs skills to the test. The poet Reiner Maria Rilke who HOW TO GET THERE for four kilometres and a half, Strada Napoleonica was born in stayed at the Castle of Duino at the BY CAR BY PLANE BY TRAIN from Opicina to Prosecco. It is the Middle Ages as a connection beginning of the last century, just Motorways Regional Airport of Trieste www.trenitalia.it a panoramic walk, suitable for road but it is called in this way as Dante had done before him, and A4 Torino - Trieste 40 km from Trieste and Udine Call Centre 89.20.21 everyone, exposed to the sun and because people believe that the composed here his famous “Duino A23 Palmanova - Udine - Tarvisio 15 km from Gorizia A28 Portogruaro - Conegliano 80 km from Pordenone protected from the bora cold wind path according to the present track Elegies”. The walk is about 1.8 km www.aeroporto.fvg.it by the bushes of smoke tree, which was opened by Napoleon’s troops. long, not very hard, but is situated in autumn turn red, yellow and in a unique and spectacular Design and Creation: Five Zone Udine _ Cartography: Tabacco_ Printing: Ellerani - San Vito al Tagliamento _ Texts by Ape Giramondo Translation by: D’Agostini Organizzazione Dipartimento linguistico Dagoservice _ Photographs: Archivio Grotta Gigante, Archivio Immaginario Scientifico, Archivio Turismo FVG, Ape Giramondo, violet. In the last part of the road, The Rilke path is one of the most setting. Be careful not to lean out A. Castiglioni, G. Crozzoli, F. Gallina, D. Krizmancic, M. Lavazza Seranto, M. Milani, A. Savella, L. Tessaro, R. Valenti. on a spectacular cliff, it is possible beautiful and charming walks of the reef. to do sports climbing; on clear overlooking the gulf of Trieste. The TOURIST INFORMATION days it is easy to see climbers who path is named after the German AGENZIA TURISMOFVG Villa Chiozza - Via Carso, 3 I - 33052 Cervignano del Friuli (UD) tel +39 0431 387111 / fax +39 0431 387199 [email protected] +39 0431 387130 Discovery Card INFOPOINT TURISMOFVG - Trieste via dell’Orologio,1 -34121 Trieste (Ts) (at the corner with piazza Unità d’Italia) tel +39 040 3478312 / fax +39 040 3478320 [email protected] Trieste’s Karst A BORDERLAND, A LAND OF EMOTIONS The Karst is a plateau situated on the border between Italy and Slovenia (where it has its natural extension). Its particular geographical position, a zone of passage between the Mediterranean and the continental climate, and its peculiar geological structure made of calcareous rock, make it a spectacular and unique area of great natural importance. The white of the calcareous rock creates spectacular contrasts with the blue of the sea and the colours of the vegetation: the bright red of the smoke tree in autumn, the brilliant green of the vegetation in spring and in summer. A land that is still strongly based on agriculture, scattered with characteristic small villages, where you will meet Bicycle the culture of the strong Slovenian minority that is expressed in the traditions and in the customs. A territory that still generates typical products of high quality: cheese, wine, honey, hams, olive oil routes and where it is easy to see a branch that indicates an open rural house, with two tables and four benches where you can drink a glass of wine in company tasting typical cold cuts. Many are the points of interest to be visited, starting from the spectacular tramway that from the city of Trieste leads to On Trieste’s Karst you will find a - Hrpelje - Ponziana cycle track The path is always well marked the plateau. And, once on the Karst, you will just have to choose from the many possible destinations: well-structured network of paths; follows the route of the former and is about 6 km long with a thanks to this and to the fact that difference in height of 80 metres. the Karst caves, from the Grotta Gigante (Giant Cave), the largest tourist cave in the world, to the railway and is in constant climb the difference in height is never on the outward journey and in It is interesting to remember that complexity of an underground world to be explored; the nature reserves where you can enjoy the too hard, cycling is easy and very pleasant descent when going the project of Italy-Slovenia cross- peace of nature; the botanical garden that provides a synthesis of the rich local flora; the charming nice. The map shows two cycle back. It is about 30 km long with a border cooperation includes the rocky, wild shores or equipped beaches; the rural villages, which provide evidence of an old tradition tracks, marked on the territory difference in height of about 400 m completion by 2013 of the Alpe a few steps away from the city. and that extend partly on routes necessary to exit the city and climb Adria cycle track, which will link especially dedicated to cyclists, to the plateau. This path allows to Kranjska Gora (Slo), already linked partly on normal roads where the reach the Karst by bicycle. The to Tarvisio via a cycle track, to traffic is limited. Other routes can other cycle track that we would Koper and then, across the border be followed on this enchanting like to point out links Opicina (start of Rabuiese (Muggia) to Trieste, up territory along asphalt roads, dirt from the Obelisk) to Trebiciano (on to Venice and Ravenna. roads and paths. The Ponziana the border with Slovenia). Castle of Duino Karst house Smoke tree leaves Monrupino Rosandra Valley Rilke Path Nature Reserves and Carsiana Geology: Botanical Speleology Karst The Timavo Garden and caves landforms river On Trieste’s Karst the largest nature reserve delimits The two other Reserves are in the hinterland: the The Timavo (Reka) is a mysteri- with three sources. After less than of the Aeneid Virgil recalled that the territory to the south: the Rosandra Valley. The Reserve of Mount Lanaro, whose forest cover is The term Karst derives from the Indo-European root “kar”, which means “rock”. The “Karst Karst phenomena are called epigean when they affect the rocks that emerge on the surface. ous and fascinating river, the un- two kilometres it flows in theAdri - “through nine mouths pours the route starts in Bagnoli, at Italy’s lowest CAI (Italian particularly significant because it alternates the Karst phenomena” are the superficial and underground phenomena linked to the dissolution of carbonate The Karst landforms, well represented on Trieste’s Karst, are classified on the basis of the scale of derground course of which is still atic sea, in the Gulf of Panzano. bursting tide amid the mountain’s Alpine Club) Alpine hut (81 metres above sea level). undergrowth and beautiful oak and turkey oak forests rocks, such as limestones: the word derives from the name of the geographical region that extends the phenomenon in microforms and macroforms. partly unknown. It springs on the However, the underground Timavo dreary moans, and covers the The Reserve includes a beautiful valley crossed by and the Reserve of Mount Orsario, a Karst site with among Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, where the large extension of calcareous rocks has allowed a large slopes of Mount Snežnik, in Slo- river hides other mysteries. The fields with hoarse waters”. Seven the Rosandra stream, the only visible waterway on the hills, dolinas and other superficial Karst phenomena. development of these processes.