ALBERGO DIFFUSO
FORGARIA MONTE PRAT

Suggested itineraries

FRIULI IS A MAGNIFICENT REGION, UNLIKE ANY OTHER, INHABITED BY A POPULATION PROUD OF THEIR LAND AND TRADITION, BUT EQUALLY HOSPITABLE AND READY TO SHARE WITH VISITORS ALL THESE TREASURES. IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT WE SUGGEST A VISIT TO AN AMAZING CORNER OF FRIULI:

THE DISTRICT OF FORGARIA IN FRIULI AND THE MONTE PRAT PLATEAU

A jewel set in the green heart of the old Friuli region

Forgaria is an area rich in traditions and natural beauty. In the district of Cornino you can discover the area’s traditions in everyday crafts, such as the manufacturing of panniers and rakes and wickerwork, which are vividly represented in the 'Casa della manualità rurale' (House of Manual Crafts). There are two lakes that enhance the landscape. If, at the sport ground crossroad, you turn right, you can find the artificial lake Pakar, a well-known fishing location. If, on the other hand, you go straight on from the crossroad towards Gemona-Tolmezzo, you can admire the picturesque lake Cornino, a light blue jewel set amidst a green patch of wood. This lake is famous not only for its picturesque beauty, but also as a natural reserve for the repopulation of griffon vultures in the area.


The variety of the landscape has led to the foundation of a nature workshop where children can get closer to the area’s natural beauty. Climbing up from Cornino towards the town of Forgaria you can observe the combination of tradition, nature and modernity. While, on the one hand, the city centre has been equipped with first-rate infrastructure, sports grounds, recreational areas and other facilities, on the other hand, nature and history come to the fore in the surrounding area. In the enchanting woods bordering the inhabited area, there are the remains of Castel Raimondo, an ancient Roman fortress whose excavations have recently been completed. Finally, climbing towards the highest hilltop, you come across the small village of San Rocco, where everything seems to have remained as it once was, nature harmonizing perfectly with the work of man.


If you then keep climbing for a few km, along a wide, winding scenic road, and go past the agritourism, you finally arrive at Mont di Prat, where the comfortable houses of the Albergo Diffuso are situated on a splendid green terrace from which you can admire the whole of the Friuli area, from the planes to the sea. Once you arrive at Monte Prat centre you will immediately notice, close to a crossroads, the San Lorenzo Holiday House, a well-known holiday resort for summer campers. The 'mont' offers over 40 Km of pathways, for hikers and mountain-bike lovers, with different levels of difficulty, for professional athletes, sport enthusiasts and families. All this is set against a breath-taking landscape. If you leave the majestic Monte Prat and go down the hard surfaced forest track of Setola, you will then enter the Pordenone province, the district of Vito d'Asio at San Francesco.


In this area, the Arzino torrent offers a number of amazing spots that become tourist destinations during the summer, as visitors seek relief from the heat by swimming and sunbathing. Reaching the valley, you will come across Pielungo, an almost deserted village, which represents the historic heart of the entire Val d'Arzino. Proceeding from the square opposite the church you enter a dense wood and, after a few minutes, come to the Ceconi Castle, once the residence of the lord patron, who lived during the 19th century and was made a lord by Emperor Francesco Giuseppe of Austria. He then built a huge mansion, which everybody called "the castle", and still exists as a site to be visited.


Descending from Pielungo along the Regina Margherita road you go to Anduins. Shortly before arriving in the village, you can see on your right the rock practise wall of Masarach, a destination for enthusiastic climbers from every part of Friuli. At the end of the village centre, you can find several sulphuric springs amidst the green, which enjoyed success between 1900 and 1939, marking the period of highest economic splendour for Anduins. Nothing is left of this ancient splendour, except the ruins. The "water that smelt of gold", as it was called, is still waiting for investment and ideas which will revive its golden age.
After leaving Anduins, you follow the narrow, winding main road and reach Vito D'Asio and Clauzetto. Passing through the latter you arrive at the small village of Pradis, where there are many natural grottos, some of which can be visited by tourists (such as the splendid "green grotto") or explored by speleologists from all over Europe.
Returning to Anduins, descending towards Casiacco, on the left you will find the Armistice Bridge, which takes you back to Forgaria, your departure point, and thus completing a picturesque circuit of things to do and places to see.

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