Hello everyone, today I'll be taking you on a trip to one of Italy's most beautiful villages. This village is called Sottoguda Belluno, Italy.
In 2016, Sctoguda was recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It's like a treasure chest at the hillfoot of Marmolada, and is known as the "Queen of the Dolomites." Nestled amidst the vertical rock formations of the Serrai di Sottoguda, a stunning forest, it's also one of the most beautiful in Europe.
The village itself is mesmerizing, as you enter it. It's truly breathtakingly beautiful. It's famous for its tabiae, wooden and brick barns that were once used to shelter livestock and store hay. Today, they're meticulously maintained and decorated with artwork by local artisans.
The area is rich in natural materials, such as wood sourced from the forest and iron from nearby towns, resulting in a long-standing tradition of crafting these materials, passed down through generations. These works of art can be seen in jewelry shops, and unique crystals are also being created, blending them with modernity.
We visited this village in early August. Our trip to Doi Mai included driving to various locations, some of which we passed along the way and just had to stop and see. This was a place we hadn't heard much about, but when we saw it, we had to park and walk inside the village.
As I mentioned, the first thing that stood out, aside from the view, was the artwork displayed by the artisans. This was a highlight of the place. We continued walking, and it was quite interesting.
The village was filled with tourists hiking. It was summer, and the activities were popular with tourists. However, we weren't prepared for this trip. We just wanted to see the beautiful scenery and experience the atmosphere.
We continued walking. The highlight we saw were the houses, almost entirely made of wood. They were incredibly beautiful. Some were wooden sheds, beautifully arranged, with flowers decorating them to add color. There were also cute dolls shaped into the front of the houses and shops, creating a unique and beautiful atmosphere.
Finally, we reached the innermost part of the village. There was a path leading into the forest, but there was an entrance fee. The walk inside was quite a distance, taking about two hours.
We didn't have much time, so we didn't go further into the forest. Instead, we opted to spend some time in the village to enjoy the atmosphere. The weather was quite hot that day, so we stopped at an ice cream shop and enjoyed a refreshing ice cream in front of the shop.
Nearby, there was a striking white building: a small church dedicated to Saints Sebastiano and Rocco. On the main facade, you can see statues of these saints, vowing to protect the people from the plague. The church was built in 1486.
At that time, only about 10 houses survived the fire of 1881 and the massive avalanche of 1916. The original bell tower was built in 1550, and the small altar was built in 1616.
This is just a small part of the story of this village, as I could find from the pictures. Everything was beautiful. Every house was breathtaking.
It's rare to see these wooden houses in such good condition today. Some are old, but the overall structure is still nearly intact. Everything is so mesmerizing, you have to stop and enjoy the beauty.
This Sottoguda is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, and a beautiful place to visit. I hope you all enjoy my story photos in this post. Thanks for following. Have a nice day.