The Forra del Cellina and the Val Cellina, Turquoise Canyon of the Friulian Dolomites

The Dolomites have a little-known face, the Friulian one, made of narrow valleys, severe walls and villages that are almost deserted. The most spectacular gateway to this world is the Forra del Cellina, a deep gorge carved by the Cellina stream into the rock, where the water flows a turquoise colour that seems impossible at these latitudes. It is a regional nature reserve a short distance from the Friulian plain, and yet it remains outside the great tourist circuits of the north-east.

The old road

The heart of the visit is the old Val Cellina road, the former state highway that once linked the plain to the mountain villages and that today, replaced by tunnels, is closed to traffic and transformed into a walking and cycling route. You walk suspended above the gorge, among bridges, tunnels carved into the rock and dizzying views over the canyon. It is an itinerary suited to everyone, because it is largely flat, but of great impact. The trail also allows you at some points to descend towards the riverbed and to observe up close the potholes and the transparent waters, where, however, bathing is regulated and in many stretches not permitted.

Barcis and the Friulian Dolomites

The main access is from the village of Barcis, overlooking its emerald-coloured lake, an artificial basin set among the mountains. Barcis preserves a small historic centre with the Palazzo Centi and its stone houses, and in summer the lake comes alive with canoes and outdoor activities, but out of season it returns to being a quiet village on the water. It is the ideal base: from here start the routes towards the gorge and the trails that climb into the Friulian Dolomites. Climbing the Val Cellina you enter the Friulian Dolomites Nature Park, one of the wildest and most uninhabited areas of the Alpine arc, recognised as a World Heritage Site. Towards Cimolais you reach the valley that leads to the Campanile di Val Montanaia, an isolated rock spire that has become the symbol of these mountains, while the valley of Erto and Casso preserves the memory of the Vajont tragedy, with the old village of Erto and the great dam, which can be visited.

How to get there

To get there, the reference point is Pordenone, connected by train to the national network. From there you drive up towards Montereale Valcellina and then on up the valley to Barcis. Public transport exists but is limited and infrequent, so a car is practically indispensable for moving between the gorge, the lake and the more inland villages. Once you arrive, though, the joy is to continue on foot or by bicycle along the old road and the trails.

When to go

The best time runs from May to June and then September. In late spring the thaw swells the stream and the water reaches its most intense turquoise, while the woods are a brilliant green. September, on the other hand, offers clear days, pleasant temperatures and the first colours of autumn, with the valley by now emptied of the few summer visitors. These are months when the better-known Dolomites, from the Tre Cime downwards, are stormed by crowds, while here the trails stay silent and you may walk long stretches without meeting anyone. The height of summer, as well as being hotter, concentrates the few tourists who know the area.

A practical tip: always check the opening and access conditions of the Forra Reserve in advance, because in the event of bad weather or floods the route can be closed for safety, and ask at the Barcis visitor centre. Bring water and something to eat, since there are no facilities along the gorge, and set off early in the morning to enjoy the light on the canyon and the quiet before the few other visitors. If you have more days, devote some time to climbing up towards the true Friulian Dolomites: it is there that you grasp how wild this corner of Italy can still be.