The Friulian Alps. From the depths of the earth to high-altitude mountain huts

The mountains of Friuli Venezia Giulia harbour a heritage that extends beyond trails and peaks and, alongside the landscapes of the Carnic Alps and the Friulian Dolomites, offer a unique itinerary that leads into their ‘underground’ world: natural caves, ancient mines and caverns where geology, history and legends intertwine. The most important destinations are the Grotta Gigante, in the Trieste Karst – one of the largest tourist caves in the world – the Pradis and Villanova Caves, and the Grotta di San Giovanni d’Antro, where nature and spirituality have coexisted for centuries. In the mountainous areas of Carnia and the Tarvisio region, meanwhile, the former mines of Cludinico and Raibl allow visitors to explore the tunnels traversed for centuries by miners, now transformed into guided tours that bring to life the memory of work and life at high altitude.

The Friulian summer naturally continues at high altitude too, with the initiative ‘In rifugio c’è più gusto’, which concludes over the weekend of 2 August at the Pradut Mountain Hut, featuring workshops on ancient grains, maize and beekeeping, alongside tastings and menus prepared using premium products bearing the ‘Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia’ label. Finally, the season’s finale focuses on wellbeing: in September, the Eirl Dolomites Retreat in Sappada is dedicating an entire week to yoga amongst the headwaters of the Piave, the Carnic Alps and the Pesarine Dolomites, featuring sessions at dawn and dusk, a session at an altitude of 1,800 metres and night-time walks in the woods.

https://www.turismofvg.it/it/montagna365