I call it a trek to Castelmonte, because, maybe caused by the confusing address on their web site, or an error from me, the satnav sent us completely in the wrong direction from our holiday home in Cividale. After we corrected the problem we reached Castelmonte, but via which roads and villages I will never know. The journey home was rather straightforward ...... But enough of this. I can tell you that the Santuario Castelmonte is an very impressive small village of two streets on top of the hill, crowned with a terrific church. Views from the square in front of the church over the surrounding landscape are breathtaking. How to get to the church. The straightforward way is to leave the car at the large parking lot at the base of the hill and walk. If walking uphill is a problem for people in the party, halfway the road uphill is a limited parking area with an elevator, delivering you in the church.

The sanctuary is in an amazing location - not far from Cividale, on the top of a pretty high hill accessible with a winding road. The views are fantastic and it is really worth the drive. The sanctuary itself has a lot of religious significance and depending on your beliefs it can be a deeply emotional experience, or an interesting example of the ex-voto phenomenon. Either way I really recommend it.