Etappe 27: Alpina Antica Trail | ET27: Venzone - Gemona

From the main square in Venzone, head east, choose the alley between the pizzeria and the gelateria and leave the old town through the eastern city gate. Cross the road and walk straight ahead along Via Santa Caterina. Ignoring the first turning on the left and the second on the right, you will come to a right-hand bend at the end of the houses. A hiking trail branches off to the left here, which takes you up through the forest to a fork in the road. Follow the signpost ‘Chiesa Santa Caterina’ to the right and after a few minutes you will reach the church at the same altitude. Continue straight on past it on the right-hand side. A hiking trail starts just behind it, which takes you down through the forest to a small asphalt road. You turn left and pass the Church of St. James and St. Anne (14th century). At the end of the street turn right into St. James Street and at the crossroads with the next Via degli Alpini turn left, taking the new road to the cemetery. On reaching the cemetery, turn right into via Borgo Rozza, cross the main road with due care and take the small road ahead and continue along the new cycle/pedestrian path. This will lead to the hamlet of Ospedaletto in the municipality of Gemona del Friuli, following the route of the old railway.

 

At the end of the cycle/pedestrian path in Ospedaletto, turn immediately left, passing under the railway in via del Lago. Continue uphill for about 400 metres along Via del Lago until you come to Via Monte Ercole, where you turn left. Continue straight on for about 2.8 kilometres past the ‘Forte di Monte Ercole’ open-air museum and further up the road until you reach a junction just below a small saddle. Here you take the smaller trail to the left (sign “punto panoramico Monte Cumieli”) and hike up in a couple of minutes to the small summit of Monte Cumieli with a breathtaking view towards Gemona and Tagliamento to the south and the mountains to the north.

You cross the summit and descend the small path (take the right path at two junctions) until you reach the gravel road again. Here you turn left and descend a few minutes to Colle Sant'Agnese with some old houses. From here the road is asphalted at first, then becomes a dirt road. On reaching Colle Sant'Agnese and passing the little church, the dirt road (strada di Ledis) begins, which descends for a few hairpin bends, which a path allows you to avoid. The dirt road is always followed, following a nice, steady descent towards the village of Gleseutte, which can be reached after about 3 km. Here you take Via Gleseutte in the direction of the centre of Gemona. The road then takes the name Via Cappuccini to join the central Via Carlo Caneva, which leads to the historic center of Gemona.