Balkans, Greece, Italy – spring trips 2024 can now be booked!

More like this in the categories: Guided tours

Tagliamento and Piave – wild rivers under the Italian sun

Next dates: May 18th to 22nd, 2024 / May 25th to 29th, 2024 (family tour)

The last real wild river in the Alps? The paddling world and science are in agreement: Nowhere along the vast Alpine arc can a wild river be as wild as in the kilometer-wide floodplain of the Tagliamento. The great adventure awaits four hours' drive from Munich - for brave hiking paddlers and well-traveled whitewater pilots, beginner and family-friendly. For four days you will entrust yourselves to the river on our Tagliamento tour. You sleep on your dream island, above you the starry sky. The river and daylight set the pace. Arrive, paddle off, switch off! Welcome to the river wilderness!

Tagliamento tour
Dream river Tagliamento! | Photo: Michael Neumann

While the sound of the word Tagliamento (pronounced Talljamento) initially arouses associations such as Cafe Latte and Bella Italia to the Italophile hobby paddler, he lets white gravel, blue water and artfully arranged driftwood sculptures pass by in his mind's eye, science has settled: the Tagliamento is considered the reference ecosystem of a natural, wild alpine river. Sounds bulky, comes to the same thing. The Tagliamento and its floodplain are so wild and unaffected by humans like no other river in Central and Western Europe.

Tagliamento tour
Who will find the perfect camp? There are hundreds on the Tagliamento. | Photo: Michael Neumann

Do you want to see with your own eyes what Europe's Alpine rivers looked like 200 years ago? Do you want to experience a real wild river with all your senses - in the rhythm of nature, on and by the river, for days away from streets, cities, shopping madness? Immerse yourself in the wild river ecosystem with its flora and fauna, its enchanted oxbow lakes, groundwater lakes and endless gravel banks? Surrounded by creative power that has become matter? 

Tagliamento tour: water experience
The Tagliamento is quite suitable for touring boats. | Photo: Michael Neumann

The river

For those who have never heard of the Tagliamento: The river runs from the Carnic Alps (the Carinthian-Friulian border mountains) through the Alpine foothills to the Adriatic Sea. There is water in the river when the snowmelts from the end of April to mid-June and after frequent, often extremely intense autumn rains. These flood events shape the river bed and bring the flow to more than 1000 cubic per second within a few hours. The special feature: the river has space. In its up to two kilometers wide floodplain, the Tagliamento can do what it wants. And that's what he does. An unbelievable tangle of river arms, oxbow lakes and gravel banks of all sizes. Driftwood mountains, dream beaches and all of this shielded from civilization by wide, ecologically intact floodplain strips.

Tagliamento tour: camp life
The mile-wide floodplain is the ideal campground! | Photo: Michael Neumann

The technical difficulties of the Tagliamento range between WW I and II+. The challenges lie in longer waves, sharp eddy lines, isolated washed-out stones that have to be avoided, as well as tree roots and branches sticking out into the current. Anyone who can safely navigate the Isar near Bad Tölz or the Tyrolean Lech from Steeg will also manage the Tagliamento without any problems. The river can be navigated with kayaks (including plastic touring kayaks), canoes or inflatable boats. For sporty beginners with little whitewater experience, we recommend a tilt-stable airboat.

Logistics

Toros Outdoors makes adventure possible - uncomplicated, reliable and safe. You travel on your own - by train or in your own car to Venzone. From there we take care of the logistics. Overnight stay in a sleeping bag on a sleeping mat - if the weather is right, even without a tent in the 1000-star hotel.

Tagliamento tour
Rich in stones - the Tagliamento is ideal terrain for anyone interested in botany, ornithology and geology. | Photo: Michael Neumann

Equipment

Depending on the conception of the trip, we take camping equipment, kitchen and food with us in the boats or organize access by an escort vehicle whose equipment enables us to have a pleasant night. You can use your own boat and equipment or you can borrow the ideal watercraft from us, including paddles, packsacks and clothes if you wish.

Process

We meet the evening before the start of the tour at the campsite not far from the start. After breakfast, we head to the river, take the cars to a secure parking lot and start the tour. Depending on the water level, we can make a shorter or longer route. We will determine the end point together over the course of the days. We want to find our flow. The progress depends not only on the water level, but also on our own personal pace. In order to end the tour comfortably, we recommend Monday as the day of the return journey.
Cultural tip: Venice is only an hour away.

Update 1: The Piave

In June 2022 we also offered a multi-day on the Piave for the first time. The sister river of the Tagliamento rises in the heart of the Dolomites, drains Cadore, known for its gelato, to flow between deep gorge walls towards Belluno.
At the latest there we let the boats into the water and follow the wild course of the Piave towards the Adriatic Sea. Due to the higher, significantly snowier catchment area, the Piave is a safe bank when it comes to water until well into June. In the first part in particular, the technical difficulties are somewhat higher than on the Tagliamento. Numerous waves reach WW II +, the eddy lines are a tad sharper, the waves higher. The Piave tour is feasible for first-time offenders, but is also suitable as an extra after the Tagliamento as part of a longer holiday in Italy. Contact us for detailed information!

Update 2: Family tour

In 2023, we offered a family tour during the Whitsun holidays that was specially adapted to the needs of families with (smaller) children. Because packing up may take longer, the sections may need to be shortened or you may need to take breaks more often. And because it's more fun for the little ones to have people their own age with them! Are you interested? Write to us and we will discuss the details together.

With all my heart Canoista: Ines on the Piave!
, , , , marked