Stage 13 · Spoleto → Norcia
- Distance
- 58 km
- Elevation gain
- 890 m D+
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Surface
- 44% asphalt, 56% gravel · 52% on cycle routes
- Terrain
- Valnerina Valley, Sibillini Mountains
- Hospitality
- Hotels
GPX 1.1 file with the track, elevation and the abbeys as waypoints. Tracks are calculated on real roads and cycle routes (OpenStreetMap): check them on the ground before you set off.
Stage map
Map of the stage Spoleto → Norcia: track, start, finish, places to stay and abbeys
Hover the profile to see the spot on the map
Tracks calculated on real roads and cycle paths (OpenStreetMap); elevations from SRTM data — to be checked on the ground
Main climb: 8.3 km at 3.7% (up to 618 m)
This stage on Komoot
The same track is on the project's Komoot profile: save it in the app and ride it with voice navigation.
Overview
A mountain passage from the Umbrian plateau into the Valnerina, on the old Spoleto-Norcia railway line, then up the Nera valley to the birthplace of St Benedict. A stretch between Cerreto di Spoleto and Norcia is still damaged by a landslide: check its status before setting out.
Notes from the road
The old railway gives dark tunnels and viaducts suspended over the Valnerina, a route almost alpine in miniature. A strong headlamp earns its keep, the Caprareccia tunnel runs over one thousand eight hundred metres in the dark. The stretch between Cerreto di Spoleto and Norcia is damaged by a landslide. Check before setting off. If it is closed the busy provincial road remains the only alternative through the road tunnels. Norcia welcomes riders with intact walls and a basilica just reopened after the earthquake.
What to see
Spoleto, tunnels and spirals of the former Spoleto-Norcia railway, Valnerina with Vallo di Nera and Sant'Anatolia di Narco, Norcia with the Basilica of St Benedict and its walls
Where to sleep
Norcia: small hotels (55-90€), B&Bs (50-80€), agriturismo (45-75€)
Where to eat
Norcineria (IGP prosciutto, guanciale, sausages), Castelluccio IGP lentils, prized black truffle, mountain cheeses
Tips
Demanding stage (58 km, 890m gain). The old railway is gravel with tunnels: bring lights. Norcia, wounded by the 2016-17 earthquakes, is being reborn: your welcome is part of the pilgrimage. Arrive before sunset.
Water & supplies
Fountains in Sant'Anatolia di Narco and Borgo Cerreto along the Valnerina; food shops are scarce, so shop in Spoleto. Narrow, shady gorges with patchy mobile coverage; the final climb from Serravalle to Norcia has few support points. As of September 2024 the Cerreto di Spoleto-Norcia stretch was advised against due to a landslide at the Balza Tagliata 2 tunnel. A regional plan worth 20 million for restoration was approved in October 2025. Check the updated status on the Comune di Spoleto's channels before setting off.
Places to stay on this stage
- Camping Il Collacciocampsite
Castelvecchio di Preci (PG), Valnerina- Price:
- budget tent pitches (booking/pitchup)
- Open:
- April – October (approx.)
- Facilities:
- shaded pitches with views of the Sibillini, two swimming pools, restaurant and pork butcher's, glamping and chalets
- Source:
- ilcollaccio.com/en/come-sleep/camping · pitchup.com
Historic farm campsite in the Valnerina, ~6 km off the Spoleto→Norcia route (detour via Preci): the valley's only real campsite.
An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.