Located in the natural park of Friuli’s Dolomites, the habitat is the one that influences and happily rules the human content. The alpine bowl of Forni di Sopra is the ideal place for a stay in the mountains, of which you’ll keep a pleasant and nostalgic sojourn.
Spring, the nature’s awakening
Walking beside the Tagliamento river, you can find a lot of timber trees and wildflowers that begin to please the eye of the visitor with colorful and fragrant florescences. You can run across paths sorrounded by little wood anemones typically colored purple, from the first little Daisies, which follow the steps of the guests who wants to spend some time overwhelmed by the beauty of the nature and from the purity of the grazing lands in the valley floor, from the snowdrops that peek out after the last snow, to the crocus that are ready to paint of purple and white the lawns of Forni di Sotto.
For the lovers of the natural remedies and infusions, there is a plenty of healing herbs that start to bloom right in this period: the dandelion famous for his magical powers against seasonal sicknesses (a cold or a sorethroat), the cumin (perfect digestive remedy, antispasmodic as well), the cardoon and much more.
The path twists and turns along the Tagliamento river, it’s possible to visit the spring of the sulphurous water. This special water is famous for its benefits. As the noun suggests, the sulphurous water is rich in sulfur and contrasts the ageing effects, the free radicals and offers to who drinks it an antioxidant effect.
Reaching this spring is simple and not demanding: from the village it only takes 20 minutes walking through the wood. The magic wood’s inhabitantsare the dormouses, squirrels and roe diers. Equip yourselves with bottles, so that you can get the famous water, which we previously talked about.
Artists and artisans of the past, which was attached to religion, passed on a little loot made of churches and chapels. The oldest and most important church is the one of St. Lorenzo (it dates back to XXIII century) which was frescoed by the carnic artist Gian Francesco da Tolmezzo. Spread on the district and along the Cammino delle Pievi (itinerary along mule tracks and paths that goes through each carnic church http://www.camminodellepievi.it/) there you can find a lot of “Cristins”, popular chapels built from the inhabitants to show their devotion. Further information about religious art are found in a series of books by Luciana Pugliese (also available at our reception). The name “Forni Savorgnani” comes right from the fact that these territories belonged once to the Savorgnan family, from the 1300 to the fall of the Venetian Republic. Recently some archeological digs bore the rests of an ancient manor house, which can be visit in Plaze Ciasciel, which belonged to the Savorgnans as well.
Culture and free time
Walks, nordic walking and trekking
A large and well organized net of paths allows the tourist towalk far and wide through the territory from the walks down in the valley to more demanding excursions, which will bring you to the highest dolomitic mountains’ tops. There you can find two guide books: “Forni di Sotto, the paths in the valley floor” and “Eastern Dolomites, the mountains of Forni Savorgnani” that allow the guest to move as they want.
Some interesting itineraries:
- Fonte acqua pudia “aghe da la Puze” – “Cristin di Zuviel” – Tra i casolari di Forni – “Sentiero natura alla capanna alpina Cuestebaton” – “malghe di Ciavalut, Ciampiuz, Masons, Neveade, Montovo”.
- Cime: M.te Bivera e Clap Savon (m.2462), Pramaggiore (m.2478), Rancolin (2050), Ciarescons (m.2168).
There’s the chance to rent bikes with pedal assistance (there are three places where you can deposit your bike with annexed battery charger: at Baselia’s and Tredolo’s Burg and at the athletic field) or mountain bikes, in our territories there are several forestry paths and paths on the valley floor, which can be covered by bike. Furthermore you can take advantage of the assistance of qualified instructors (info and connections on-site)
Some paths on the valley floor:
- Vico (campo sportivo), Drogne, S.Antonio, Chiampì, Vico
- Baselie, ponte Sacrovint, Preses, Sacrovint, torr. Poschiadea).
Bike sharing, mountain bike
Kayak, sport fishing, canyoning
You can use the kayak in the zone of Tofat in Forni di Sotto until Caprizi (Socchieve). This zone belongs to the Tagliamento river.
Thereby you can also fish if you are in possession of a licence you can also take part in fishing contests (info on-site at fishermen’s association).
You can practise canyoning in the channels of Rosie and Poschidea, assistance and accompaniment with specialised Alpin guides (info: Scuola italiana di Alpinismo e Scialpinismo Guide Alpine FVG).
On the gravel bed of the Tagliamento and the Poschiadea channel where the stream flows slowly and forms crystal clear puddles, you will get a perfect suntan after relaxing while sunbathing.
In Calon’s sport zone, close to Vico’s burg, there are two regular-shaped football fields with annexed locker rooms and recently restored stands. The complex is by the way perfectly efficient: you can rent it in order to organize tournaments or training camps and it works in the same way for the structure nearby (kitchen and wide indoor zone), which is made for refreshments and commissary (infos: Società Sportiva Audax); a few steps away there are two synthetic tennis courts.
There is also a little stable: the owner is a girl and she’s qualified to teach and accompany in riding trips, activity that will soon be available for albergo diffuso’s guest (infos right on side). In Forni di Sopra (8 km away) the stable is alreasy working in loc. Saliet.
In Forni di Sotto you absolutely need to visit the Adventure Park (itineraries between trees, which are calibrated for both kids or adults, http://www.for-adventure.it/ ), a few steps away you can find the swimmingpool-gym complex, with fitnessroom and artifcial-climbin wall.
Football, tennis, horse riding
Mountaineering, sport climbing, climbing routes
Forni Savorgnani’s valley is located between imposing dolomitic walls and they are part of Parco delle Dolomiti Friulane.
This zone is perfect for every kind o0f climb, moreover there are some perfectly equiper Cliffs in the floor of the valley and you can practise free climbing there: Radio Rai 2 Sector, Al Zambol Sector and Lavagna in Forni di Sotto Sector (38 paths from 5b to 7b+) and Varmost in Forni di Sopra at km.8 (12 paths from 4c to 6c).
Classical paths:
- Monte Cridola
- Punta Savorgnana
- Monfalcon di Forni
- Pramaggiore
- Cima val di Guerra (I° e II°)
- Campanile di val Montanara (III° IV°)
- Falesie di Forni di Sotto
Paths, mule tracks and forestry paths are perfectly matched with the rackets lovers, so you can walk through these itineraries by yourself or take advantage of the company of specialised alpin guides. You can rent the rackets on-site.
Ski mountaineering lovers have the whole Forni Savorgnani’s valley available, including the Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, the territory and a natural paradise made of itineraries of each kind and degree of difficulty; you can easily walk through different paths in the valley floor, or reach the summit of the mountains until you tread the bravest mountain tops. (it depends on the physical condition and on the ability of the person). You must keep in mind that there could be some dangers if you don’t pay enough attention while walking on the snow (cold, strong temperature range, avalanche and so on and so fort), that’s why you should accurately plan your trips, be always careful and be well equiped.
In the gorges and generally in the Northern slopes, during the coldest periods, everything that is made of water becomes ice and beyond admiring the beauty of the ice, you can climb, with ice ax and climbers, on the vertical frost of small and big falls: one of the most beautiful ones is the one of Ghirei in Rovada Valley; it’s 60 metres high.
Info Scuola italiana di alpinismo e scialpinismo FVG cell. +39 335 8008859. You can find the paper guide on-site: “Dolomiti Friulane – I monti dei Forni Savorgani”.
Rackets, ski mountaineering, ice falls
Ski mountaineering and snowboard
Ski slopes in Varmost in Forni di Sopra (8 km far) are provided with three chairlifts with automatic coupling and go over 2000 mt, The district offers about 15 km of ski slopes, two educational camps, the snow park and a chairlift also in the valleyfloor. Every slope’s level of difficulty is easy-medium, with a wonderful sight over the Dolomites that goes from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo to the Dolomiti Friulane going through the Civetta Mount and the Antelao (in the district there are some well equiped slopes for regional, italian and european competitions) info: Scuola italiana sci Forni di Sopra.