The trail of the four Castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs
The trail of the castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs: a long spring hike in Friuli Venezia Giulia between history and nature
Stefano and I have explored the mountains of Friuli Venezia Giulia and sometimes we ventured into Alto Adige. We never would have ever imagined that one of our longest hikes would have happened on a loop trail between the Castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs.
A small reason for pride for us is that you will not find this route elsewhere because it was designed by Stefano. Keep reading to find out all the details of this spring hike in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
This ring trail between the castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs starts in Attimis.
To reach Attimis from Udine proceed towards Reana Del Rojale up to Remugnano. Just before the hamlet of Zompitta, turn right towards Savorgnano al Torre and finally follow the signs to Attimis.
Where to park
You can leave your car behind the church of Attimis. The hike starts in the woods that you see in the distance giving your back to the church.
Hike recap
- Total km: 20
- Elevation Gain: + 1200
- Total time: 7 hours
- CAI Trail: Not present. You have the signposts by the local authority for tourism
- Difficulty: Strenuous for length and elevation gain
- Children: not for the whole trip
- Dog: Yes
- Support points: Not present
The data you find above refer to the overall tour between the castles of Attimis, Faedis, and Porzûs that Stefano and I did.
This hike can be divided into shorter sections and within everyone’s reach.
Parking in Attimis you can:
- Visit the Upper and the Lower Castle of Attimis
- Visit the Upper Castle of Attimis and the Castle of Partistagno
- Go up to Porzûs
Parking in Faedis you can:
- Visit the Castles of Zucco and Cucagna
- Go up to Porzûs
If you want to follow in our footsteps, you will find below the GPX track and the description of the route.
Loop trail among the castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs
Our long spring walk among these castles in Friuli Venezia Giulia can be divided into 4 parts:
- From the Upper Castle of Attimis to the Castle of Partistagno
- From the Castle of Partistagno to the Castles of Zucco and Cucagna in Faedis
- From the Castles of Zucco and Cucagna to Porzûs
- From Porzûs to Attimis
The best season to do this hike is early spring before it gets too hot.
From the Upper Castle of Attimis to the Castle of Partistagno
As mentioned, we start the tour from the parking lot behind the cathedral of Attimis.
The trail starts near the area of the local festival. Finding the path will be super easy as it is cleaned by the ProLoco.
In about 20 minutes, you will arrive at the first part of the tour: the Upper Castle of Attimis among whose stones you can still read the story of those who lived there.
If you feel like you are on a set of a TV series set in the Middle Ages, everything is normal.
Il Castello Superiore di Attimis
The first news of the Castles of Attimis dates back to the year 1100 among the properties of the Bavarian family of Moosburg. In 1170, together with the nearby Castle of Partistagno, they were given to the Church of Aquileia which in turn assigned them to the Attems counts.
The Castles were definitively destroyed by the earthquake of 1500.
To the Castle of Partistagno
It takes about an hour to cover the distance between the two castles.
The trail, well-marked by the signs installed by the Attimis Associations, stretches out into the undergrowth in a continuous up and down perfumed by spring herbs.
The only stretch where you should pay attention is the one immediately near the Partistagno Castle, where the path runs alongside the small village of Faris.
Out of the woods, in fact, you should go down towards the houses following a concrete road and then go back into the bush and go up to the castle. For orientation, you will have an infallible ally: the Partistagno Castle itself.
The Castle of Partistagno
The Castle of Partistagno was built on Roman remains and is the best-conserved of the four manors.
Walking among the buildings, it’s easy to understand the strategic function that this place occupied. It was built to control the road below that connects Gemona to Cividale del Friuli.
From the Castle of Partistagno to the Castles of Zucco and Cucagna in Faedis
The longest part of the hike begins after the Castle of Partistagno. There are 7 kilometers in the woods to reach the village of Faedis.
Here you have to pay some attention. On the opposite side of the Castle of Partistagno you will find a wide downbound road. After a few meters, you will find a detour on the right that enters the woods. Here is the trail you need to take.
From here, for the next 5 kilometers, be prepared for a dive in the woods. The trail that connects the Castle of Partistagno to the Castles of Faedis is a real immersion in the woods, a real Forest Bathing session.
The trail is quite difficult to explain. If you decide to do this tour between the Castles of Attimis, Faedis, and Porzûs, lean on the GPX track above.
When you’ll emerge from the woods you’ll be in Faedis. Here we cross the first indications for the castles of Zucco and Cucagna.
Cjondar des Paganis: a strenous detour
Along the forest road leading to Faedis, you will find a well-marked detour on the left which leads to the Cjondar des Paganis cave. Here the long, but all in all quiet, ride between Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs takes a more dangerous turn.
The trail goes up the hill with a moderate slope, continues on a small stretch where it is necessary to climb the rocks, and culminates on a very small aided section.
With the sense of then, I would tell you that this detour is not worth taking in the context of such a long walk. It’s better to do it another time, with a shorter itinerary but without children.
From the Castles of Zucco and Cucagna to Porzûs
Back on the main road, there is still a little way to go. Once back into the woods you will arrive at a crossroads that starts the second-to-last stage of the hike.
In about 10 minutes you will arrive at Castello di Zucco where you can take a longer break. Know that if you have followed our trail, your legs will already have paced 700 meters of positive difference in altitude.
The castle of Zucco, which dates back to 1200, is also well preserved. We decide to observe it from a distance, sitting on the bench of the nearby church of “La Vergine del Rosario” from which you can admire a beautiful view of the plain.
I confess that at this point, I began to feel like giving up the hike. Luckily I’m stubborn so we moved on.
We set off again towards the aforementioned crossroads, and we say goodbye to the last castle of the hike, that of Cucagna.
The last castle is too dilapidated to be well visited so we pass it quickly. We thus prepare for the last climb up to Porzûs.
The climb to Porzûs
This is certainly the most difficult part of the entire trail of the castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs. Not so much for the difference in height (about 400 meters), but for the fatigue accumulated so far.
Out of the corner of your eye, among the shrubs on the right, you will see Mount Joanaz. If you have been there / or it will seem to you that you have found an important ally to monitor how long is missing to arrival.
Even if the climb seems endless, after the last stretch in the woods we arrive in Porzûs, near the cemetery (from which you can enjoy an excellent view).
Make one last effort and reach the center of the town where the kiosk of the ProLoco Amici di Porzûs is there to welcome you, like an oasis in the desert. If it’s open (check on their Facebook page), beer is a must.
From Porzûs to Attimis
Don’t let the beer make you forget that you still have a piece of the trail ahead of you and that you have to go back to Attimis.
The legs go by inertia and Stefano insists on making one last detour to a viewpoint from which the paragliding jumps take place.
We return to the car with a pleasant, well-directed path that takes us back to the Upper Castle of Attimis and then to the starting point.
Why take this hike around the castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porzûs
I found this hike very fascinating, both for the historical and naturalistic sides. I’ll be honest. This is a real trek and it’s not for everyone, at least as we did it.
It is certainly an excellent workout for those who start walking longer distances with more altitude. Here you can work on endurance in an environment with less risk than in the high mountains.
I think it is the concrete example that in Friuli Venezia Giulia it is possible to take long walks with significant differences in height even without going “to the mountains”. And without unnecessarily putting yourself in danger.
On social media, we are bombarded with images of beautiful places that sometimes hide their dangerous sides. We are led to believe that to be “mountaineers” one must necessarily go looking for rocks, ravines, and the via ferrata even if they are out of one’s reach, just because “it’s cool”. In reality, the true mountaineers, precisely because they know and appreciate the mountain, know when and how to move to seek the “thrill”. They appreciate the exploration and the pleasure of earning an ice-cold beer, a peak, or a castle after struggling.
To do this, in Friuli, it is really enough to put one foot out of the house.
Some recommendations for you
The path of the Castles of Attimis, Faedis and Porûs is a trail invented by Stefano and is only feasible for people already used to hiking.
In the areas we have touched with this long spring walk, however, you will find many other trails for all levels of difficulty.
You can think of visiting the castles in groups, You can avoid the climb to Porzûs. Or arrive in the area with two cars, leaving one in Attimis and the other near the castle of Zucco. Or even keep yourself in the Porzûs area only.
There are many alternatives, it’s up to you to choose the one that suits you best. If you want more inspiration, I suggest you follow the Facebook page of the Pro Loco Amici di Porzûs.
Are you looking for more hikes in Friuli Venezia Giulia?
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