The GLR 43

The region of Veneto is located in the north-eastern part of Italy. Veneto is in contrast with its direct neighbors Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino South-Tyrol, not an autonomous region. Locals are known as Venetians and speak besides Italian, mostly Venetian.

The region of Veneto consists of seven provinces. Venezia houses the region’s capital. Other provinces are Belluno, Treviso, Vicenza, Verona, Padova, and Rovigo.

One-third of the terrain is mountainous. The region is home to the Carnic Alps, eastern Dolomites, and Venetian Prealps. With the highest peak in the Dolomites at 3342m, the Marmolada massif stands tall over the entire region.

Besides the mountains, Veneto is covered by hills and plains. The latter, mostly situated around the Po river. At last, Vento has a total length of 200km of shoreline, of which half are beaches.

Due to the diversity of terrain, Veneto knows several climates. It knows a Continental climate around the coast and into the lower hills. When you traverse more inland, the climate changes to a predominantly Alpine climate.

Precipitations are scarce in the more southern parts of the region. To the north, precipitation levels rise up to 1100 mm per year, with an abundance of 3200mm in the Bellunese Prealps.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia region is situated in the North East of Italy. As its name may suggest otherwise, Venice is not located in this region. Italian, German, and Italian are spoken in the region. Besides its rich Italian cuisine and history, the Friuli Venezia Giulia region is famous for its wide variety of landscapes. From the plains to the south, to the Prealps and Carnic, and the Julian Alps to the North.

I hope this sounds like music for us as Adventurisers. With 42% of the total area described as mountainous and 19% as hilly, it may sound obvious that the majority of the GLRs are located to the North. As a natural consequence, the climate in the North is designated as Alpine. This means that temperatures may vary widely between the different seasons. 

While exploring the region, it’s good to know a lot of the Alpine landscapes are protected Natural Reserves. If you’re merely looking for the long gravel roads, I would suggest taking the southernmost routes.

The Region of Carinthia is situated within the Eastern Alps and is known for its mountainous landscape. The state is about 180 kilometers wide from east to west and a mere 70 kilometers from north to south. Despite these smaller dimensions, it’s still the fifth-largest state of Austria. With Klagenfurt as the capital city and Villach as the second-largest city, most of the population is located in the vicinity of both.

Carinthia knows a humid continental climate with moderately hot and wet summers and long harsh winters. Especially at higher altitudes, an alpine climate gets overhand. During summer, heavy rain and thunderstorms occur regularly. The region is also prone to flooding and flash floods after heavy rains.

For us as adventurisers, Carinthia has lots of natural beauty to offer. With a well-established tourism sector, it’s never hard to find a good place to stay for the night.

Your motorcycle adventure in Austria is going to continue after completing the GLR 43! At Hermagor-Pressegger See, you can choose between two connecting GLRs. 

The GLR 44 guides you down south back into Italy and eventually crosses the border into Slovenia. This 106-kilometer long adventure explores the mountainous region of North-Eastern Italy. You’ll end the GLR 44 at Čepovan.

Or you choose to follow the GLR 46. This adventure route guides you across the border into Slovenia. With 356 kilometers, of which 77.5km are off-road. This is an adventurous route. Choose this GLR if you want to explore the endless forest roads of Slovenia. You’ll finish this route at Ivanje Selo.