Stage 16 · Casamari → Montecassino
- Distance
- 62 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,150 m D+
- Difficulty
- Moderate-Challenging
- Surface
- 100% asphalt, 0% gravel · 41% on cycle routes
- Terrain
- Liri Valley
- 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 Casamari → Montecassino: 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: 6.4 km at 6.2% (up to 437 m)
Other climb: 7.4 km at 3.9% (up to 506 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
The final stage. From Casamari the route climbs to Montecassino, the mother house of Benedictine monasticism, where St Benedict rests.
Notes from the road
The Liri valley accompanies the final kilometres gently, through countryside and small towns. Isola del Liri and Arpino offer every service, a good chance for the last real shopping stop. Filling bottles in Cassino stays necessary, there is no water in the last eight kilometres. Tourist traffic grows on summer weekends, better to tackle the climb early in the morning. The final climb rises in regular hairpins, never too steep but sun-exposed, up to the Abbey of Montecassino, closing the pilgrimage on top of the mountain.
What to see
Abbey of Casamari, the Isola del Liri waterfall, Arpino, birthplace of Cicero, Roccasecca, home town of St Thomas Aquinas, the Liri valley, Abbey of Montecassino with its cloisters, basilica and the tomb of St Benedict
Where to sleep
Guesthouse at the Abbey of Montecassino (€50-70, monastic hospitality, book months ahead); hotels in Cassino (€60-100); small lodgings across the plain (€50-90)
Where to eat
Buffalo mozzarella, pasta e ceci, abbacchio, Pontecorvo pepper DOP, Cesanese and Falerno wines, simple meals from the abbey's hospitality for guests staying there
Tips
The final stage, 62 km and 1,150 m of climbing. The last climb to Montecassino is demanding but steady, with panoramic hairpins. Take it slowly, with no rush on the final stretch. The final climb from Cassino is about 8.5 km at an average of 5%.
Water & supplies
Frequent services: Isola del Liri at the start, Arpino and Roccasecca at mid-stage. Fountains in the villages, no isolated sections. The final climb to Montecassino, about 8 km, is sun-baked and waterless: fill your bottles in Cassino.
Places to stay on this stage
No places listed for this stage yet: the overnight network is a work in progress.
Abbeys on this stage
- Start abbey: Abbazia di Casamari
- Finish abbey: Abbazia di Montecassino
An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.