Discover Forni Di Sopra: Nature, Trails and Culture

Forni di Sopra combines the natural environment of the Friulian Dolomites with distinctive trails, wildlife watching, mountain activities and a unique cultural history. The valley lies within the Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane and extends from the valley floor through forests and meadows in the middle elevations up to rocky peaks. For your travel planning, you can therefore choose different focuses: longer mountain tours, short nature experiences, adventure activities or insights into cultural history.

Experience nature and choose your trails

The Sentiero Truoi dai Sclops passes vertical rock walls, alpine meadows and woodland vegetation. Rare or endemic flowers grow at higher elevations; the trail also passes through habitats of ibex and chamois. Those who want to combine wildlife watching with a shorter visit can find a five-hectare area in the Parco delle Dolomiti Friulane at the Area Faunistica Parulana. There, lynxes, foxes, deer and owls can be observed.

Two different types of visit are offered at the Area Faunistica Parulana: a leisurely circular walk lasting approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, and a 2-hour-and-30-minute visit focusing on the biodiversity of the area. The Sentiero dei Bambini of the Ecomuseo Fornese adds a 400-metre-long nature trail with 20 stations where visitors can interact directly with nature.

Mountain activities and special routes

At the Dolomiti Adventure Park, 11 suspended courses await you, with Tibetan bridges, walkways and zip lines. The park also includes the Powerfan, a 15-metre-high free-fall jump. Another form of mountain adventure is offered by the Ferrata Adventure Climb Varmost on Clap Varmost. It starts at the mountain station of the chairlift in the Som Picol district and takes three to four hours. The route includes an initial canyon section and a suspended Tibetan bridge.

Those planning a longer route can consider the trail to Bivacco Marchi-Granzotto. The tour starts and ends at the Ponte Giaf car park and takes six to eight hours. Another point of reference is the first section of the Varmost chairlift: it leads to Som Picol, at an altitude of 1,450 metres, from where the Som Picol alpine hut can be reached. Typical cuisine from Forni di Sopra is served there. The Ring of the Malghe di Forni di Sopra leads down to the main square of Forni di Sopra; from there, the return to the Varmost chairlift car park takes approximately 10 minutes.

Culture, crafts and religious art

The Ecomuseo Fornese is an open-air museum created through the collaboration of the residents of Forni di Sopra, presenting the material and intangible heritage of the area. A water-themed walk leads from the Vico district along the Tagliamento into the natural environment of the Friulian Dolomites. Along the way, it passes streams, cascades and artesian springs. The Ciasa dai Fornés houses the Museo Il Filo dei Ricordi, with agricultural tools and products of natural textile processing made from wool, hemp and linen using plant dyes. The local craft tradition also includes scarpéts, traditional Carnic shoes made of embroidered velvet and crafted entirely by hand.

The history of the area can also be traced at several sites. The ruins of Castello di Sacuidic are located within the municipality of Forni di Sopra, near an ancient road and a ford across the Tagliamento River. The castle is dated to around the end of the 12th century. In the Cella district, the Chiesa di San Floriano stands as a national monument on a rocky spur overlooking the Tagliamento. It contains frescoes by Gianfrancesco da Tolmezzo and an altarpiece by Bellunello. The latter is an eight-panel polyptych bearing a signature and the date 1480. A votive oratory built in 1515 and associated with the Santuario Madonna della Salute became a destination for numerous pilgrims.

Putting Forni Di Sopra into perspective as a destination

When looking for accommodation, it is worth deciding on your main focus in advance: nature trails and wildlife watching lead to different daily itineraries than a cultural route featuring the Ecomuseo, crafts and church art. There are also clear differences between a short visit to the natural environment, a three- to four-hour via ferrata tour and a six- to eight-hour route to Bivacco Marchi-Granzotto. This allows you to combine your accommodation search with the experiences you actually plan to enjoy in Forni di Sopra.

More destinations for travel planning: Coseano, Trivignano Udinese, Pavia di Udine, Udine, Pozzuolo del Friuli, Latisana, Romans, Ronchis.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Udine.