Sot La Napa: A True Hidden Gem in Northern Italy

I don’t know where to begin to tell you about Agriturismo Sot La Napa in Italy.

It was such a wonderful surprise.

Located in the wee village of Pesariis — which I fell in love with — this agriturismo is one of the best places I’ve stayed.

Period.

While it’s not an agriturismo (farmhouse) as in “stay in the middle of the countryside”, it’s still a delightful and peaceful place to lay your head.

Sot La Napa not only has rooms, but an incredible restaurant as well.

So let’s get started because I’m betting when you get to the bottom of this post, you’ll be ready to book some time here.

 

Where is Sot La Napa?

I recently wrote about Pesariis, the little clock town in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

This region of Italy — the far Northeast — doesn’t see many American or Canadian visitors.

In fact, this was the first time I had ventured into this piece of the boot.

And I’ll go back because it’s incredibly gorgeous, diverse and is filled with an interesting history.

Pesariis is specifically in the Province of Udine and in a smaller area called the Val Pesarina — a valley that is 22km long from west to east and crossed by the Pesarina stream.

And the Val Pesarina is one of 7 valleys that make up the larger Carnia area.

Agriturismo Sot La Napa sits in the heart of this tiny village.

While it’s not a place that is “on the way” from one major destination to another, Pesariis is worthy of getting off the tourist track for its clock making history and the beautiful mountains that surround it.

And Sot La Napa is the place to stay — and eat.

 

The house

Sot La Napa was actually built around 1600.

Yes.

The building is that old!

But the Solari family — the current owners — restored this house which was a manor house/small palazzo of sorts back in the day.

There are 10 rooms available — from single to quadruple — that all have en suite bathrooms.

The restaurant is on the ground floor and comprises 4 rooms — 2 on either side of the lobby area.

There is also a lovely sitting room on the 2nd floor (1st floor for Europeans).

You’ll find a lot of wood and stone in the house — wood floors, wood beams, wooden doors, stone archways, stone steps.

I love places like this as they have so much character.

And you know this house has lots of stories to tell.

If only the walls could talk!

 

The rooms

All 10 rooms are modestly furnished with simple, classic furniture that fits the style of the house.

So it’s got a bit of a rustic feel.

And some might call the furnishings “antique”.

But it’s Italy so it’s all relative.

The beds are comfortable but not plush.

Again, the style is more fitting to the house.

You’ll find an armoire/wardrobe to store clothing and your bag as well as bedside tables, a tv and a couple of chairs.

The bathroom is modern with a shower, sink, toilet and bidet.

Pressure in the shower is good and the water is hot.

My room was a small double but plenty big enough for a solo traveler.

In fact, I think 2 people would have been comfortable in here as well.

I loved having the windows to look out to the cobblestoned streets of Pesariis.

I just had to remember to close the one in the bathroom as needed! LOL!

The wifi worked pretty darn well for being in a small town in the mountains.

Mostly, I loved being able to sleep in a comfy bed in a tiny, tranquil village in the mountains of Italy.

And I loved hearing the church bells ring!

 

The restaurant and the food

Wow!

The food at Sot La Napa is outstanding.

The Solari family began their farm in 1995.

And they have chosen to grow everything — vegetables, beans, herbs and animals (pigs, chickens & rabbits) — in an organic way.

So you are getting not only fresh, local food, but also food without any chemicals.

What they don’t grow themselves, they get from other local producers.

The family has small plots of land distributed around the village which is a common practice in these mountain areas.

Breakfast is simple yet fresh.

Typically, the Italians don’t do big breakfast like you’ll find in Ireland or Scotland.

You’ll get fresh bread, some kind of sweet bread, yogurt, juice, coffee — good coffee because the Italians DO know how to make really good coffee — and fresh jams & preserves to put on those breads.

The jams were my favorite as was the excellent coffee.

Dinners are out of this world — unique, fresh and delicious!

I ate at Sot La Napa both nights and was treated to some of the best meals I had on my 9 week trip.

The first night I had the very special prosciutto of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region as an appetizer.

It was so tender it practically melted in my mouth.

Then I had the hand made ravioli.

I can’t remember what was in it but I think a combination of herbs and maybe a little bit of local cheese.

It was delicious.

For dessert — because I couldn’t resist — I had the chocolate cheese tort.

The cheese was all local cheese.

OMG!

Divine!

I rolled out of there and up to my room that night.

I was stuffed!

The second night I had a fresh green salad with the most tender lettuces I think I’ve ever eaten.

Then I had a gnocchi type pasta with a tomato sauce that was just as tasty as the ravioli I had the first night.

I skipped dessert the second night but it was tempting.

Both nights I had a lovely house white wine, a Friulano wine, which is an easy to drink wine with hints of citrus and almond.

The ambience of Sot La Napa fits perfectly with the house and the food.

Each of the 4 rooms that make up the restaurant are different and beautiful in their own way.

I ate in the room that has what is called a fogolar, which is a traditional type of fireplace or firepit that is common to this region.

One of the rooms has a gorgeous painting on the ceiling.

From the food to the ambience, the restaurant at Sot La Napa is amazing.

 

The family

The Solari family runs Sot La Napa.

Eliana and her daughter, Silvia, are the ones I had contact with.

Eliana is your chef and host.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t speak English — well maybe a wee bit.

Silvia speaks enough to help you check in to your room and find your way around.

But I always find a way to communicate.

Knowing a little bit of Italian will help you at Sot La Napa and Pesariis in general.

Silvia and Eliana were kind, helpful and welcoming.

My regret is that I couldn’t have more of a conversation with them.

*Sigh*

I need to get back to my Italian lessons!

 

Final thoughts on Sot La Napa

This is such a diamond in the rough —a hidden gem.

I don’t like using those cliche terms, but both of them fit Sot La Napa.

Here you are in the middle of a wee village in the mountains of the Carnia area of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy, staying in this amazing, historical agriturismo eating über fresh and tasty food.

It’s one of those WTF moments where you realize you’ve truly stumbled upon something special.

As I said, Pesariis and Sot La Napa are not really “on the way” from one major destination to another.

But I think it’s worth making the detour to stay here at least a couple of nights to relish in the peace and tranquility — and the clocks — of Pesariis.

And to to stay at the charming Sot La Napa and eat some of the best food in all of Italy.

Are you ready to get off the tourist track?

You won’t regret it.

 

This is part of a series I call Charming Places — a series in which I talk about the places I stay. From B&B’s, hotels and guesthouses to apartments and farm stays, I’ll give my honest thoughts on these spaces. I’ve found that the accommodation I choose to stay often directly affects how I feel about a particular destination. And how I connect with that location and its people. So I want to share these places with you by dishing out a bit of info and some of my opinions.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Agriturismo Sot La Napa so my stay was discounted. However all opinions are my own.