A narrow road with 28 hairpin turns and 9 tunnels to Monte San Simeone
Monte San Simeone is a mountain peak at an elevation of 1,208 m (3,963 ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Udine, in Italy. There's space for a single car, with no guardrails, and hairpin turns in tunnels where you can't see the other end.
Where is Monte San Simeone?
The peak is located in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in the northern part of the country, near the Slovenian border, high in the southeastern part of the Carnic Prealps.
When was the road to Monte San Simeone built?
The road was built shortly before the First World War to reach a fortress on the plateau. Today, it’s possible to see the remains of the former fortress. Monte San Simeone is not very high, but as it stands isolated, its relative altitude differences make it quite important. It is also unique in several other respects: historical, natural, and as a valuable goal for outdoor activities. The summit hosts a church, Chiesa San Simeone, dating back to the 13th century, when the church on its high plateau was first mentioned. It was renovated several times, the last time in 1976 when it was completely destroyed by an earthquake. The epicenter was just below Monte San Simeone. The nearest towns were all destroyed.
Can you drive to Monte San Simeone?
The road to the summit, also known as Mont Sant Simeon, is fully paved with concrete parts (not in the best condition), and extremely narrow. It’s called Strada del Monte San Simeone. The road is mostly wide enough only for one car. If you don’t like narrow roads, better avoid it: it’s not wide enough for two cars to pass at the same time.
How long is the road to Monte San Simeone?
Starting at the paved Strada Provinciale 36 (SP36), the road to Chiesa di San Simeone, a mountain church near the summit, is 11.1 km (6.89 miles) long. It’s extremely steep, with a maximum gradient of 12% through some of the ramps. This road and the nice panorama from the plateau are reasons that Monte San Simeone is also very popular with bikers. From Bordano, they climb more than 1,000 meters of altitude in ascent and then return by the same road.
Is the road to Monte San Simeone defiant?
The thrilling road to the summit was skillfully built, with 28 hairpin turns (9 of them through unlit tunnels). The hairpin section runs largely through sparse forest, so even at high temperatures, there is at least some shade. This ascent is an absolute must for fans of winding routes.