Alpe Adria Short & Sweet: Villach to Grado

Day 1 — Arrival in Villach
Arrive in Villach, the lively Carinthian town on the Drava river, and check in to your 4-star hotel. Travel documents and rental bikes (if booked) are waiting for you. Parking at the hotel is subject to availability and payable on site; free public parking and paid garages are available nearby.

Day 2 — Villach to Valbruna (44 km, 341 m elevation)
A car-free ride with only a gentle, steady climb through forests and charming villages along the Gail river to Arnoldstein, then across the border to Valbruna in the Italian Val Canale. Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 3 — Valbruna to Carnia/Gemona (47–60 km)
The highlight of the Alpe Adria cycle path: ride car-free along the old railway line through the narrow Fella valley to Pontebba. After a short stretch on regular roads, continue to your overnight stop. Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 4 — Carnia/Gemona to Udine (44–57 km)
Partly on car-free paths along the Tagliamento river and partly on quiet side roads, pass Osoppo and Buia through the fertile Friuli countryside to Udine — Piazza della Libertà, Piazza Matteotti, the Duomo and the old town. Overnight in a 4-star hotel.

Day 5 — Udine to Grado (57 km)
Leave the city on cycle paths and ride through villages such as Pavia di Udine to Palmanova, the perfectly preserved 16th-century Venetian star-fortress. Continue via Cervignano to Aquileia, once an imperial residence of the Roman Empire and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and cross the lagoon to the old port town of Grado. Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 6 — Departure
End of tour after breakfast, or book additional nights. A return bus from Grado to Villach can be booked at extra cost on Fridays and Sundays (14 May–24 October) and Saturdays (1 May–16 October), departing approx. 9:00 from the central piazza and arriving in Villach between 12:00 and 14:00. On other days, own return journey to Villach.