The etymology of words often brings us back to their forgotten meaning: in the case of the word “holiday”, the origin comes from the Latin “vacare”, to be empty, free. The holiday tells us, or should tell us, a very pleasant emptiness that is freedom. Empty days from work, from study, from various commitments, in which the rhythms can slow down, in which we can do what we want, even nothing.
We met a place in Carnia, which has made this idea of freedom on holiday its philosophy: it is the Dolomiti Village, a small village of chalets in the mountains located in Povolaro, a sunny village in Val Degano, conceived by the happy intuition of its founder, Silvano Martin. An entrepreneur from Treviso, who has always been attracted by the mountains, its places and its people, who one day decided to try to build something that could represent the idea of a holiday linked to “vacare” and to that being “free from”, to “be able to dedicate himself to something else”.
So, after a brilliant experience as an entrepreneur in the plant engineering sector with almost 200 employees, Mr. Silvano decided to do something for that mountain he was so passionate about
He comes up here in Carnia, on the road that leads to Ravascletto, not far from the Zoncolan ski resort, and other pearls of rare beauty such as Sauris, Pesariis, Sappada and begins to write a new story: that of the Dolomiti Village.
THE CHALET VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS: WOOD, NATURE AND HARMONY
Quiet, relaxation and privacy are the three key words of the tourist philosophy of the village
Having a chalet all to yourself at an altitude of 1,000 metres, in Carnia where nature is still alive and unspoilt. Being completely immersed in the woods, with its scents and animals. Retreating to a simple life together with your loved ones, far away from stress and confusion. Mr. Silvano has designed his chalets with the intention of offering his guests an experience of authentic beauty but also of harmony with nature.
The architecture of the chalets is inspired by the stavoli (shelters) of Orias, an ancient village in the Pesarina Valley.
Wood is the key word in the village, all sourced strictly from local forests.
Each chalet has its own address.
Starting from the architecture of the chalets, built respecting the typical tradition of the area: the inspiration comes from an ancient village not far from the village (Borgo Orias), and made with small stone and wood cottages, once used as temporary dwellings for shepherds and farmers. The chalets of Villaggio Dolomite come to life from this idea and from a great passion for wood: 1,400 cubic metres of wood, totally local, give rise to these splendid independent houses with pointed roofs, equipped with every comfort, in strict respect of nature.
Starting from the water that exploits a spring right there in the village and that after the use is rigorously purified through a phyto-purifier that returns 97% purified water to the ground.
Attention to nature is present in many other “sensitive” choices such as the use of a small photovoltaic system, low energy impact LED lights, appliances all in class A, to ensure full energy efficiency and lower consumption.
Comfortable and really cosy rooms.
Relaxation spaces in corners where you can breathe in the scent of wood and the magic of silence.
Comfortable and spacious interior where you can see and feel the wood.
The chalets are equipped with every comfort, including a jacuzzi.
And what about the views from every room in the chalet?
Harmony with nature, but without renouncing comfort, and when the two things manage to coexist, the business idea can really be said to be enlightened and expected to succeed. The Dolomiti Village proposal meets the needs of any guest: whether you are travelling alone, with friends or with family, you can choose from 20 chalets of 80 square metres, ready to accommodate from 2 to 7 people; an outdoor veranda offers the opportunity for pleasant summer evenings, perhaps improvising a barbecue, available for each accommodation, as a further guarantee of a holiday in maximum comfort and total freedom.
On the other hand, Silvano tells us “The village was born to be just that: not just a room or a nice flat to sleep in, but an authentic experience with the territory.
An opportunity to rediscover contact with nature and spend your stay in what you really want to be perceived as a home.”
And when you return to your chalet, a small sauna hut is available right next door.
Small and comfortable wellness spaces.
And for the kids, an exciting wooden pulley!
IN THE VILLAGE ALSO A RESTAURANT: CARNIC AND BARBECUED SPECIALITIES
Crossing the village along the pretty little stone streets is in itself a regenerating experience, observed, moreover, by beautiful creatures carved in wood. They are called sbilfs (Carnic goblins), but we have also come across owls, bears and squirrels. At a certain point we reach the Borgo Nomplan restaurant, also located in a beautiful chalet, where the watchword is welcome and territory. In fact, the cuisine speaks of tradition and typical specialities, to continue that dialogue with the land that is proposed to the guest at every moment of the experience.
The wooden sculptures ‘metaphorically’ followed us on our walk through the village.
Seasonal raw materials such as vegetables from the garden, mountain herbs, mushrooms and wild plants. They are the protagonists of traditional Carnia dishes together with frico, polenta, malga cheese and cold cuts, and barbecued meats. The Florentine rib steak, the pride and joy, but also chops, lamb ribs and other cuts, according to availability. Dishes made with imagination and great attention, that creativity that renews and innovates without ever betraying the soul of the dish.
We tried the pappardelle with venison morsels… delicious!
Barbecued meat is a speciality of the restaurant
WELLNESS AREA WITH LAKE VIEW
At the Dolomiti village, where everything is zero km (even water, as we said) could not miss the wellness area. Also housed in a wooden and stone chalet, it has the particularity of offering guests a suggestive view of the small lake outside, populated by very original Japanese carp…very Zen, they too, in their peaceful swimming in the calm mountain waters. For the rest, the environment offers everything you can imagine to detoxify and regenerate yourself: hydromassage, Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, emotional showers and the relax room, where you can undergo regenerating and relaxing treatments.
The wellness area… with a lake view!
AT HOME, ON THE TREE, TO FEEL BETTER
And then there’s the surprise. The dream of anyone as a child and not only. A beautiful tree house. Here, fantasy doesn’t go too far from reality.
And it reminded us of those fairy tales heard so many times as children, of little wooden houses of fantastic worlds, with wood panelled rooms, small windows with embroidered curtains, huge wooden cupboards, shelves and lullabies of all kinds.
There is also a chalet on an ancient beech tree…
And then that staircase that continues to climb to a loft where you can get lost in the evening watching the silence of the snowfall, or the magic of a starry sky in the middle of summer.
So sleeping on a tree can only benefit us, inviting us in some way to take care of ourselves, re-establishing that deep and ancestral bond that unites us to nature
preserving the immeasurable richness to which we must all remember to belong.
Beech trunks are the real “stars” of the house
Treehouse inspires reading, relaxation and chatting with friends
A small niche in the mezzanine hides the sleeping area
Congratulations to Silvano for his idea and vision: in any field – from art to science, from industry to food and wine, from literature to cinema – if there had not been the great visionaries, humanity would have stopped and Italy would not have known much of its beauty and genius. The strength of great entrepreneurial ideas has always been that of generating collective habits, signing the customs and habits of an entire society. And it is our wish and hope for the small village of chalets in Carnia: that it can inaugurate a new way of doing tourism, based on respect, ecology, culture, harmony and shared well-being.
“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life. ” H. Hesse
