Discovering Sauris and the Friulian Dolomites

I’m back in Sauris. Yes, we all agree, it's not my first time neither being here nor telling you about it, but when a place catches my attention well, I can't resist. If you missed the previous installments, I'll leave my 2019 and 2022 articles here.

Getting back to today, if you are still unfamiliar with this small village of 390 people, I'll educate you. Sauris belongs to a German-speaking linguistic island and is a member of the club of the Authentic Villages of Italy and the Committee of Historical Germanic Linguistic Islands in Italy. But my task is not to give you information that you can easily find on the internet, but to give you some ideas on how to spend your days around here. To enter Sauris, there is only one road that goes through a stone and cobblestone tunnel and then opens onto a sky-blue lake. All around it are the mountains, which envelop Sauris di Sopra and Sauris di Sotto.

Here, you can enjoy absolute tranquility, without stumbling into mountain “funfairs”: in fact, Sauris has been able to preserve its authentic nature and yet has added an extra something. I’ll explain soon enough, but to do so, I must introduce you to the Treinke Campsite, managed by Albergo Diffuso di Sauris (Sauris’s Widespread Hotel), in Borgo dello Sport e del Benessere, halfway between Sauris di Sotto and Sauris di Sopra. Let's call a spade a spade: it would have been much easier to cast concrete here and create RV sites. However, this option would have distorted this fantastic place. Here, nature still is in charge.

That's not all, folks! If you happen to be around here, why not enjoy the starry sky that Astronomitaly called

“One of the most beautiful skies in Italy”? Easily said and done. Here, they've got you covered with their Star Boxes, little wooden houses with a roof that opens to let you admire the vault of heaven from the comfort of your bed. And again, in true glamping style, two models of Canadian tent: one that opens on both sides, giving you the impression of being outside, and one with a transparent side perfect for admiring nature. A window to the green.

Here I was even luckier, because the night brought with it a beautiful thunderstorm that I savored as if I were at the movies, while Mount Ruke was lit by lightning and the sound of water gently accompanied me into the arms of Morpheus. In Sauris the vegetation is lush, among lilies, cherry trees, and wild orchids. A magical and authentic place, with a dash of comfort (which never hurts!): a certainty can in fact be considered the reception desk, the facilities with showers and laundry machines, and the barbecue area with tables and benches perfect for socializing.

A further plus? You can request baskets with local goodies for breakfast (sweet, savory or vegetarian) or for a beautiful happy hour with a cool bottle of sparkling wine, properly paired with a board of cold cuts and cheeses.

Also, if you want to spend a few hours of pure relaxation, Grien Spais just a stone's throw away and offers discounted access for camp guests. They have a swimming pool with a waterfall, a whirlpool, a wellness area with saunas and Aufguss programs on weekends, a steam room, and more. This is wellness heaven, perfect for recharging your batteries. Oh, I forgot about the solarium overlooking the forest: it’s just crazy. Needless to say, the pool area is thought for families, while the sauna area is for adults only.

However, if we’re talking about Albergo Diffuso di Sauris, we should not forget about its accommodations. I have toured some of them over the years, solo and otherwise, and each one stood out for a different feature: with one room or with eight beds, with a balcony or two bathrooms, with a fireplace or spacious living area. Let's say the common thread is the recovery of old barns and abandoned houses, which are refurbished and now ready to welcome guests. This is where the first Widespread Hotel in Italy was born, and since then many, many steps forward have been taken.

The facility, year after year, wanted to expand its offer by taking direct management of several activities in the village, from the spa to the camping site, including trekking tours guided by a real-depth nature guide like Renzo! He’s a living Treccani encyclopedia, or at least that’s what I’d call him, who accompanied me in the discovery of botany, history, and geology: he started explaining from the creation of the world, passing through Prehistory, when Sauris was in the Tropic of Cancer, all while making references to practical and tangible examples.

Renzo guided me on a hike (suitable for everyone) that started from Casera Razzo and heading towards Lake Mediana. It’s a destination that I had been dreaming of seeing for a very long time, since I found it constantly depicted on social media.

To book your hike with Renzo simply contact Albergo Diffuso di Sauris (+39 0433 8622) and ask for him!

It's finally time for food! Here are two ejoyable suggestions. In Sauris di Sopra is mandatory to pay a visit to Seike Sauris/ Zahre, which offers, at lunch, a selection of products from Sauris and Carnia, and for dinner an endless variety of pizzas cooked in the wood-fired oven and other delicacies from the territory.

And what to say about the scenic little corner of Lateis in Sauris at Pa' Krhaizar's? You'll lick your fingertips as you savor the smoked trout and other excellent dishes like tagliolini with wild garlic and ravioli with herbs and melted butte! Staying true to tradition, here you can space between the cultures of the mountains of Friuli Venezia Giulia!

Let's not forget Lake Sauris, that patch of sky-blue embedded in the mountains! You must know (and few people do) that it is not swimmable due to safety issues, but by contacting Sailing Saurisyou’ll be able to ply its waters (I already told you about it here, remember?). Sailing Sauris was born in 2019 and it’s a boat rental service on Lake Sauris with Canadian canoes, kayaks, SUPs, paddleboats and - this year’s news - a red and white paddle boat on which you can take impressionist-painting photographs! Here, too, you can choose to be guided by experienced nature guides to make the experience even more unique.

Gliding on the surface of the lake while rowing silently can truly be an unforgettable experience.

In short, if you are looking for unspoiled nature among forests, lakes, dolomitic rock, spas, and starry skies, Sauris can answer you call and do it well, especially if you’re looking for an authentic but fully equipped place. A true gem among our mountains. Miss Claire's word.

All aboard, next stop....

Ph. Luca de Angelini e Francesco Cecconi