There is a magical place not far from Pordenone which, on the clearest days, allows you to stretch your gaze from the Piancavallo mountain to the Venetian coast. A place called "Venice of the Snows" which has become a destination for cyclists, runners and nature lovers.
In the mid-1960s, a period of economic boom, transformations and major projects, the idea arose of creating a luxury tourist settlement consisting of small villas and chalets in the Sauc - Col Cornier area in Piancavallo. To give rise to this never completed project, a road was developed which connected the Artugna valley to Dardago al Sauc.
A road full of charm that constantly offers the possibility of getting lost in the view of the entire Pordenone plain accompanied by the noise of an ecosystem that lives undisturbed in those areas away from the noise of the city.
The "Venice of the Snows" after the renovation works is now a road closed to motorized traffic and intended only for cyclists and pedestrians. A climb of 630 meters in altitude that develops on a compact dirt bottom for a length of 8km. A not impossible climb that certainly requires a minimum of training but which thanks to its practically constant slope of 7.8% is able to give emotions that surpass fatigue.
The climb starts from the roundabout on the Pedemontana road (SP29) where you need to take the exit towards the center of Dardago (via Brait). From here, go straight up (go along via San Tomè) until you leave the town and head towards the "Ciastelat" area. The road is linear and to get to the bar that indicates the beginning of the road you must then pass, leaving them on the left, an inn, a restaurant, an area used for picnics and finally a chalet.
Along the climb up to the beginning of the "Venice of the Snows" there are numerous paths suitable for both trekking and fun mountain bike rides. It must be said that the area is really full of tracks and areas to discover which I will slowly bring you to know.
At the end of the "Venezia delle Nevi" dirt road, we have the option of going back down to Dardago by retracing the same road or going up again, keeping to the right, up to the town of Piancavallo. This still requires us to make a small effort of 1.5km on a paved road which, however, will be rewarded by the satisfaction of having reached the top.
Here too it must be said that once you reach the top of the "Venice of the Snows" at the second crossroads if you turn left you go up again and you get to take the road of the Piancavallo-PianCansiglio ridge.