7 Valleys of Carnia
Hidden in the remote northwest corner of Friuli, where Italy meets Austria, are the Carnia mountains. The area takes its name from the region's first inhabitants, a Celtic tribe called…
Prosciutto Dishes of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The Celts were the first culture to use salt in preserving pork, and their arrival in the hill town of San Daniele del Friuli around 400 BC marks the origin…
Summer in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
Note: Even though Italy has begun the process of reopening following the coronavirus shutdown, many events, including the festivals listed below, have been cancelled for 2020 as a precaution. Organizers…
Land of the Sbilfs: Turn back time in the Carnian Alps
This piece was originally published in the June-July 2013 issue of Dream of Italy under the title "Simple Pleasures in Friuli's Carnian Alps." Hidden in the mountains of northern Friuli–Venezia…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 2): Festa del Prosciutto
My bus ride to Sauris was one of the more hair-raising I have endured. After changing buses two times—and squeezing myself into a seat amid a sizeable group of motion-sick…
Sauris: On the Trail of a Malga
Despite the oompah band playing outside my window for half the night, I still managed to get to sleep, thanks to my trusty earplugs. It was now my final day…
Sauris: Festa del Prosciutto
The next morning, I was awakened by a rooster’s crow and the heavy patter of raindrops on my window. Outside, all of Sauris was bustling to prepare for the opening…
Sauris: Prosciuttificio Wolf Sauris
The forecast had predicted clouds and a chance of rain for my remaining three days in Sauris di Sotto. Sure enough, I awoke to a string of low, wispy clouds…
Sauris: Ristorante Alla Pace
On my first morning in Sauris, I awoke to cloudy skies and a forecast of rain. After a yummy breakfast of muesli and yogurt, I set out to look for…
Sauris: Ristorante Kursaal
The day I had been waiting for was finally here! I would be leaving Udine for a three-week stay in the mountains of Carnia. I had hotel reservations in five…