STARWAYS Cycle Excursion, Stella River and Surrounding Area

🚴 About the STARWAYS Project

The STARWAYS project represents a groundbreaking cross-border initiative designed to promote sustainable and accessible tourism across the Italy-Slovenia border region. Funded by the European Union through the GO! 2025 Small Projects Fund of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia 2021-2027 Programme and managed by GECT GO (Gruppo Europeo di Cooperazione Territoriale GO / European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation GO), STARWAYS is at the forefront of transforming how visitors experience this unique European borderland.

The project's core mission centers on enhancing inland waterways and cycle tourism infrastructure while fostering deeper connections between the Italian and Slovenian territories. By developing integrated tourism products based on natural and cultural resources, STARWAYS contributes to the broader vision of the GO! 2025 European Capital of Culture, which celebrates Nova Gorica and Gorizia as the first-ever cross-border European Capitals of Culture.

A cycling excursion organized as part of the STARWAYS cross-border tourism initiative, bringing together cyclists to explore the natural beauty of the Italy-Slovenia region.

Beyond this specific cycling event, the STARWAYS project encompasses a variety of innovative services designed to make cycling tourism more accessible and enjoyable. These include the BIKE-VAN service in the Vipava Valley, free Bicibus intermodal transportation connecting cyclists to key trailheads, e-bike rental stations, and new cycling infrastructure along strategic routes like the Adriabike and Alpina Mediterranean cycling corridors. The project also emphasizes training for tourism providers and the development of harmonized cross-border cycling regulations.

🗺️ The Cycling Route: Stella River & Surroundings

The STARWAYS Cycle Excursion follows a carefully curated approximately 20 km flat route that takes participants on a journey of discovery along the Cormor River, also known as the Stella River. This gentle waterway originates near Codroipo and meanders through the picturesque lowlands of Friuli Venezia Giulia before flowing into the Marano Lagunare Lagoon, creating a rich ecosystem of freshwater and brackish habitats.

The serene Cormor (Stella) River, with its distinctive green waters reflecting the surrounding riparian vegetation.

The tranquil waterways and canals that characterize the cycling routes around Muzzana del Turgnano.

The route traverses predominantly flat terrain, making it accessible to cyclists of all fitness levels, including families with children, seniors, and recreational riders. Participants will ride along peaceful country roads, tree-lined paths, and scenic riverbanks, immersing themselves in a landscape where water, woodland, and cultivated fields create a harmonious patchwork of natural beauty. The excursion uses comfortable trekking bikes that are well-suited to the mixed surfaces encountered along the way.

Along the route, cyclists will have the opportunity to observe the characteristic Bosco Baredi and Bosco Coda di Manin forests — ancient lowland woodlands that represent some of the most precious woodland habitats in the region. These forests, together with the river systems of the Turgnano and Cormor, form part of the Natura 2000 network and provide vital habitat for numerous plant and animal species.

🌿 Natural Heritage: The Foci dello Stella Nature Reserve

The cycling excursion offers a gateway to one of Friuli Venezia Giulia's most remarkable natural treasures — the Foci dello Stella Regional Nature Reserve. This protected area spans 1,377 hectares encompassing the delta of the Stella River and adjacent lagoon environments, creating an exceptional ecosystem of international importance.

Cycling routes along the Stella River offer spectacular views of the water and surrounding nature reserve, where the river meets the Marano Lagoon.

The reserve is truly a paradise for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. Its extensive reed beds, labyrinthine canals, and brackish wetlands provide habitat for an extraordinary diversity of bird species. Among the notable residents are the marsh harrier (boasting one of the largest colonies in Italy), mute swans, purple herons, grey herons, and white herons. The reed thickets also shelter numerous passerine species including the little reed warbler, great reed warbler, and reed warbler.

A particularly fascinating feature of the reserve is the village of traditional fishermen's huts known as casoni. These rustic structures, built entirely from reed and wood, were once used as shelters by fishermen and hunters. Each hut had a central hearth for warmth during cold winter nights, and remarkably, they are all oriented to face west — the direction most sheltered from the bora and tramontana winds that sweep across the region. Today, these huts are maintained by fishermen from Marano Lagunare and passed down through generations, preserving an authentic cultural heritage.

The reserve also preserves traditional fishing methods, including the Bilancia di Bepi, one of the last operational balance fishing nets in the area. This traditional fishing apparatus, driven by an electric motor, allows for sustainable fishing practices that have been used for centuries. Visitors can observe this ancient art and even sample freshly caught fish prepared in the traditional frittolin style.

🏘️ Muzzana del Turgnano: The Starting Point

Aerial view of Muzzana del Turgnano, nestled in the fertile plains of Friuli Venezia Giulia with the Stella River nearby.

The characteristic tree-lined paths and green corridors that make cycling around Muzzana del Turgnano a magical experience.

The excursion begins in Muzzana del Turgnano, a charming village in the province of Udine that serves as an ideal gateway to the Stella River area. Participants will meet at the Parco degli Orbi, a unique park whose name and design pay homage to the historical figure of "Li Orbi de Mozana" — the blind people of Muzzana whose story is woven into the fabric of local identity.

Adjacent to the park stands Villa Muciana, an early 20th-century building on Piazza San Marco that exemplifies the austere and sober architectural style of its era. The villa, together with Parco degli Orbi, creates a meaningful starting point that connects participants with the local history and culture before they embark on their cycling journey.

Muzzana del Turgnano is also renowned for its extraordinary white truffles (Tuber magnatum Pico). The woods surrounding the village produce what many consider to be among the finest white truffles in Italy, their aromatic complexity shaped by the unique combination of saline soil, wild garlic, and diverse local flora. The village hosts an annual Friulian White Truffle Fair ("Trifule in Fieste") each November, celebrating this culinary treasure.

🌳 The "Boscovia della Bassa Friulana" Cycling Route

For those who wish to extend their cycling experience, Muzzana del Turgnano offers access to the Boscovia della Bassa Friulana, a fascinating cycling route accessible to everyone — including children and elderly riders. This route connects the woodlands of neighboring municipalities such as Castions di Strada, Carlino, Palazzolo dello Stella, and Precenicco, creating a network of easy, enjoyable paths through the ancient lowland forests.

📋 Practical Information

Cycling along the waterways of Friuli Venezia Giulia offers a perfect combination of easy terrain and stunning natural scenery, ideal for riders of all levels.

🎭 GO! 2025: European Capital of Culture

This cycling excursion is part of the rich cultural and events program of GO! 2025, marking the historic designation of Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy) as the first-ever cross-border European Capital of Culture. This unprecedented achievement celebrates the unique identity of these twin cities, which have grown together across a border that has shifted throughout history but has never diminished the deep connections between their people.

The rolling vineyards and picturesque landscapes of Friuli Venezia Giulia provide a stunning backdrop for cycling adventures, connecting culture, nature, and gastronomy.

The GO! 2025 program revolves around four thematic pillars: War and Peace, reflecting on the region's complex 20th-century history; Creating the New, fostering innovation and contemporary creativity; Smugglers, exploring the ingenious ways people navigated life on the border; and Very Green, emphasizing environmental sustainability and the region's natural heritage. The STARWAYS project and this cycling excursion directly contribute to the "Very Green" theme, promoting sustainable tourism and appreciation of the region's extraordinary biodiversity.

Through the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme, the European Union continues to invest in cross-border cooperation, with dedicated cycling infrastructure being one of the key output indicators. The programme aims to support 13.4 km of cycling infrastructure and increase connectivity to cycle routes for 44 tourist destinations by 2029, demonstrating the long-term commitment to making this region a premier cycling tourism destination.

🚵 More Cycling Adventures in the Region

The STARWAYS Cycle Excursion is just one of many cycling experiences available in this remarkably bike-friendly region. Friuli Venezia Giulia has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure, with over 180 km of cycling and pedestrian itineraries connecting the STAI area (Stars, Woods, and Lagoon). The region's commitment to cycling tourism is evident in projects like ADRIONCYCLETOUR, which is developing the Adriatic-Ionian Cycle Route as part of the EuroVelo network.

Shaded cycling paths through ancient pine forests offer a refreshing ride during warm summer months.

Artistic installations and gateways along the cycling routes celebrate the cultural heritage of the region.

🗺️ Notable Nearby Cycling Routes

The BIKE-VAN service, also part of the STARWAYS project, offers free minivan transportation for cyclists and hikers between key locations in the Vipava Valley, including routes to the Eco Refuge on the Nanos Plateau and the Trnovo Plateau. This innovative intermodal service makes it easier than ever to explore the region's diverse terrain without worrying about logistics.

🍷 Local Gastronomy & Wine

No cycling adventure in Friuli would be complete without savoring the region's extraordinary culinary heritage. The Stella River area is part of the Friuli-Latisana DOC wine region, where vineyards stretch across the flat plains producing exceptional wines. The area is also famous for its trout breeding in the clear waters of the Stella River, particularly around Ariis and Rivignano.