Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Forni di Sopra and the Dolomite Loop

From the heights of the snowcapped Dolomites to the verdant Valle del Cibo, I recently had the delicious pleasure of visiting some of the finest food and drink producers in northern Italy, taking in lots of pretty countryside along the way and getting to known some of the friendliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

First stop on my journey along the Italian Ham Highway was the mountain town of Forni di Sopra in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Situated within the Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, Forni serves as an excellent base for outdoor adventure with plenty of nearby (and even in-town) opportunities for skiing, climbing and hiking. And as I discovered, It’s a fantastic place to have a drink as well. Here, the stereotypical Italian bella figura yields to a rugged and independent spirit. In Forni, I came across men with beards of mythic proportions and drank some of the finest craft beers I’d ever tasted. Aside from the snowy Alpine surroundings and the absolute quietude of the night, the scene was enough to have me wonder if I were back home in Hackney. Had I stumbled upon a secret hipster heaven?

Foglie d’Erba

Forni is home to award winning artisanal beer producer, Foglie d’Erba. You can try all the Foglie d’Erba brews and meet brewmaster Gino Perissutti at his birreria in the Coton Hotel. The hotel is owned and run by Gino’s family and is home to the oldest pizzera in the area.

The artisanal beer movement in Italy has exploded over the past five years or so, and Gino seems to be leading the way from his mountain lair with a small selection of tasty yet simply crafted small batch beers made with fresh local water and foraged herbs. (Maybe this reflects my American palate, but) I especially liked the herbal and hoppy IPA, Hopfelia. Good luck coming across these fine beers in London. But hey – there’s all the more reason to pay Forni a visit!

Find out more at birrificiofogliederba.it.

Stay

While in Forni, I spent the night at friendly little three star hotel, Albergo Taranda. In the heart of town, the Taranda is within easy walking distance of all the shops, restaurants (Al Gris is a great one for local flavour) and bars (I had a potent and warming bombardino at Bar Varmost) not to mention Gino’s birreria. The hotel is exceptionally clean and features spacious balconies with views of the surrounding mountains. An easy one to recommend, I’d be happy to stay there again.

Go to albergotarandan.it for more info.

Do the Dolomite Loop

To get to Forni di Sopra, I’d flown into Venice Marco Polo Airport from London City Airport, hired a car and hit the road upwards and onwards into the Dolomites. My flight was under two hours, and the drive from Venice to Forni took about three hours. From Forni, I carried on to the even more mountainous and remote village of Sauris followed by a quick stopover in San Daniele di Friuli and a couple of days checking out the compact city of Udine and its pastoral surroundings.

I had a blast during this leg of my trip and will share more about these other Dolomite destinations in upcoming posts. Manoeuvring the winding mountain roads in this beautiful area of the southern Alps was a delight. Even though my ‘Dolomite Loop’ only comprised a few nights of my overall time in Italy, it proved to be a fun fly-and-drive excursion that would make a great break in its own right. If you’re keen to experience mountain views, enjoy scrumptious food and drink and discover another side to Italian life, consider doing a Dolomite Loop through the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

For more about Forni di Sopra and other Friuli Venezia Giulia destinations go to turismofvg.it.

I would like to thank the fine folks at boutique digital agency, The 7th Chamber, for helping sponsor this trip.