Sappada Vecchia
Sappada Vecchia
4.5
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles279 reviews
Excellent
215
Very good
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Average
8
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Brun066
Florence, Italy12 580 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
During our visit in Sappada Vecchia / Plodn we accidentally came across a group of middle-aged people who were talking with each other in a language incomprehensible to us - but which was certainly not regular German - then, suddenly, they switched to speaking Italian, then again in the unknown language.
What introduction could you imagine more evocative than this one, to the linguistic personality of Sappada, with which the architecture of Sappada Vecchia is closely interconnected?
The ancient language of Sappada, "fossil pocket of ancient German, no longer in direct relations with the mother linguistic area since at least the 14th century", as can be read on a panel displayed in the city centre, actually introduces the peculiarity of the town, thus allows us to better interpret the architecture of Sappada Vecchia, deepening the correct but naive initial impression, that it is a peculiar, pleasant mountain architecture.
Walking through the historic districts of Sappada Vecchia (called “Borgate”) one after the other, from Bach to Puich (a challenging walk), helps us to imagine the remote, almost mythical time, without precise historical evidence but unanimously reported by the scholars to the 11th century, in which a large group of inhabitants of Eastern Tyrol, oppressed by their feudal lords, the Heinfels counts, asked and obtained from the then ruler of the upper Piave Valley, the patriarch of Aquileia, to cross the ridge of the Alps and settle in the Sappada valley, previously deserted.
When I learned this story, my thoughts turned to similar cases in the Western Alps, in which the Walser colonized the highest sectors of the Italian valleys around Monte Rosa, also in this case occupying areas that the native inhabitants had not settled, thus founding new towns from scratch (e.g. Alagna Valsesia).
In each hamlet of old Sappada, exhaustive illustrative panels, in Italian, English and German, explain the features of the settlement, as well as of the individual houses, highlighting those most notable for their age or for ethnographic connotation. There are also detailed maps that allow you to precisely locate single homes.
Overall, old Sappada appeared to me to be one of the most fascinating of the small historic centers in north-eastern Italy, and perhaps the most unusual, due to the ethnic peculiarities jealously preserved for centuries by its inhabitants.
Written 21 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NikJ
Ascot, UK843 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Interesting walk of about 2km on a parallel road to the main road with all the older buildings on. Credit to the tourist region to have sign posts in multiple languages to describe the village and location of the houses.
Visited in early December
Written 5 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sagri2013
Indianapolis, IN4 381 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
We stayed for a week in this area getting a chance to visit many attractions. One of them was a memorable walk through Sappada Vecchia where we came across the historic villages meeting the locals. It was an experience enjoyed by all our family members: white snow, colorful flowers, green meadows, and ancient brown woods. It’s like a dip in the past or a postcard from the preceding age. Sappada Vecchia, consisting of 9 of the 15 villages, is a location where ancient and typical houses and wooden stables are the places of interest. It is a famous summer and winter tourist resort preserving the houses and buildings built according to the ancient wooden architecture. Some places of activity are noticeable in this area such as mills, fountains, chapels, and churches. This place offers choices for every palate, from pizzerias and agritourism to the most renowned restaurants. The environment surrounding Sappada is still unpolluted indicated in the variety of animal and plant species found in the valley. We observed traces of past centuries, which remind us how hard life was in the past.
Written 9 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

neo_marcopolo
Lesmo, Italy303 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
We arrived to this place by chance, without knowing it, and we have been surprised by this old village, with no car traffic, historical traditional buildings and houses full of flowers and, old style fountains.
It was very relaxing to walk by the main street of the village with wonderful views of the town as well as the surrounding amazing slopes and mountains.
Written 22 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gianluca B
21 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Couples
I was completely astonished from this part of the city .

We had such a pleasant walk throughout this ancient part of Sappada ; you can breathe the history of the town and admire the architecture and accuracy of each house (some of them dated 1700's) .

Furthermore , really cordial and friendly locals made the experience even better.

I suggest you stop along the way and taste a delicious platter of salami and cheese "sorpresa" in the Latteria Sappada.

As the title said, it was a dive in the history and tradition from the houses seen to the food eaten.
Written 8 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Flavio P
Sappada, Italy53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Couples
It is a charming village full of old wooden houses built in a local style. Sappada is a cultural island composed of old austrian families migrated in the XIV century and remained isolated until 120 years ago.
Written 9 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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SAPPADA VECCHIA: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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