The Spoleto-Norcia Cycle Route on the Old Railway of Tunnels

Among the mountains of south-eastern Umbria runs one of the most astonishing old railways in Italy, and almost no one knows it. The old Spoleto-Norcia line, opened in the early 1900s and decommissioned in the 1960s, was a prodigy of engineering: to overcome the difference in height between Spoleto and the Valnerina plateau the designers dug dozens of tunnels and threw up dizzying viaducts, even helical stretches where the railway spiralled back on itself inside the mountain to gain elevation. Today that route is a greenway, and riding it by bicycle means crossing a harsh, silent landscape that most Umbrian tourists don't even suspect exists.

The route

You start from Spoleto, a compact and refined art city, and almost at once the old railway shows its character: the first dark tunnels, the bridges suspended over the valleys, the steady ramps rising with the gentle gradient typical of period trains. The most famous stretch is the one around Caprareccia, where the line tackles the pass with a series of tunnels, among which the spiral ones stand out, genuine masterpieces hidden in the belly of the mountain. Once past the watershed, the route descends toward the basin, brushing past the valley's villages and finally opening out onto the fields that precede Norcia, home of Saint Benedict and of the norcineria pork-butchery tradition, with its walls and the piazza dominated by the statue of the saint.

The tunnels

The most precious feature of this itinerary is precisely its railway heritage: a gentle, steady gradient, because trains couldn't tackle steep climbs. This makes the ascent toward the pass long but always rideable, never brutal, and the descent that follows flowing and satisfying. The surface alternates asphalt and gravel stretches, and the passages through the tunnels are the real spectacle: some are long and completely dark, so front and rear lights that are powerful are absolutely essential and, if possible, a jacket, because inside the rock the temperature plummets even in summer. It must be said honestly that the 2016 earthquake struck this area hard and over time some stretches have had closures or diversions for works: it's wise to check the state of the route before setting off and to allow for a few on-road variants.

It is precisely the wounds of the quake that are one of the reasons these places remain outside the major tourist flows. The Umbria everyone imagines is that of Assisi, Perugia, Lake Trasimeno, while the mountainous Valnerina, harder to reach and marked by reconstruction, is ignored by mass tourism. For those who pedal it's an advantage: you find empty trails, authentic villages and powerful nature, and you lend concrete support to a land that truly needs slow tourism.

When to go

The ideal window runs from late spring to autumn. May offers green mountains and blossoms, with the cool air perfect for tackling the ramps toward the pass. October is magnificent for the colours of the woods and for the absolute quiet, though the days grow shorter and inside the tunnels it gets decidedly cold. This way you avoid both the risk of frost and slippery stretches in winter, when some high-altitude sections can be problematic, and the sparse summer crowds, which in any case stay modest compared to other destinations.

Practical tips

A practical tip: check the route's opening status in advance and set off with reliable lights, charged batteries and a supply of water, because between one tunnel and the next there are few places to stock up. And treat yourself to a proper stop in Norcia to taste the local cured meats and cheeses: arriving by bike in the homeland of the norcineria, after crossing the mountain through the tunnels, is a finale that repays every pedal stroke.

Practical guides

• Getting to Spoleto: a practical transport guide
• Two Days in Spoleto: Umbria's Secret Heart Between Art, Silence and Black Truffle
• Where to stay in Spoleto: a guide to lodging among medieval lanes and Umbrian hills
• Where to Eat in Spoleto: A Guide to the Deep Flavors of Umbria