Hiking to Malga Coot
Malga Coot: a natural balcony over Val Resia. The wild valley of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
Malga Coot is an agritourism restaurant in Val Resia located on a natural balcony in the Julian Prealps Park (in the Italian North-East).
Malga Coot can be reached with a very simple hike also suitable for children. When you sit down to eat your plate of frico and polenta and look at the view, I’m sure you’ll feel like you’re light years away from the rest of the world. It will seem impossible that such places can still exist, but this is one of the good reasons to visit Friuli Venezia Giulia. Read on to find out all the details of this perfect summer hike in FVG.
Malga Coot is located in Val Resia just beyond the village of Stolvizza.
To get to Stolvizza from Udine, drive towards Tarvisio (A23 Carnia motorway exit) and, shortly after Moggio Udinese, on the right, you will find the town of Resiutta and the directions for entering Val Resia. Continue driving on the road that runs parallel to the Resia stream until you reach Stolvizza; then, it goes beyond the village and reaches the hamlet of Coritis.
To reach Malga Coot you have to drive even further and you have two options:
- Drive to the end of the paved road and leave the car in the large dedicated parking area. From the car park, the hike to Malga Coot is short, of about 200 meters of elevation gain
- Leave the car shortly after Coritis at the start of the CAI 731 path. We did this.
ATTENTION: the road is quite narrow and there are 4 small fords in the stretch of road between Coritis and the beginning of the CAI trail 731. Be careful if you have a low car. Stefano’s VW Golf managed to pass.
Hike recap
- Total KM: 6,5
- Elevation Gain: 400 D+
- CAI Trail: 731
- Support Point: Malga Coot
- Difficulty: Easy
- Children: Yes
- Dogs: Yes
The hike Malga Coot in short
Coming from Coritis you will find the CAI trail 731 on the left. The track immediately plunges into the woods and has a constant slope.
After a few hundred meters the trail exits onto a grassy stretch and then re-enters the undergrowth near a pretty hut.
When you come out of the vegetation again, you will make the last stretch on old pastures of an abandoned mountain dairy and you will arrive at the point where trails to Casera Canin and the Costantini Bivuac intersect. To get to Malga Coot, proceed to the right.
After lunch, to return to the starting point, we decided to walk the paved road, thus closing the loop trail. The descent was very fast and took us back to the car in about 30/40 minutes.
Hiking to Malga Coot in the woods of Val Resia
I love walking in the woods and I love the feeling of being alone in a forest. The hike along the CAI trail nr. 731 towards Malga Coot allowed me to take a regenerative walk, despite the constant slope.
After parking on the roadside we began to climb surrounded by absolute silence, interrupted only by the distant hum of the chainsaws.
After a few hundred meters the trail crosses a clearing where a small hut sleeps placidly. From here we had a taste of the panorama of the mountains all around. Back in the woods, we started climbing again.
The beech forest is covered in green and we have fun imagining it in autumn. The memory of the wonderful Pusti Gost trail, which starts from Stolvizza, is still vivid in our minds. Every now and then I stop to catch my breath, but above all to raise my eyes to the sky and regain possession of my breath by observing the fluttering of the branches.
The crossroad
Once out of the wood we find ourselves walking on the edge of an old pasture on which the grooves of the electrified fences can still be seen.
Looking up, on the left, we notice people approaching from Casera Canin. In front of us, under the Baba Grande, the characteristic red color of the Costantini Bivouac stands out. Stefano and I make a mental note to visit them both as soon as possible.
We finish the climb at the old mountain dairy, the point where the different trails intersect. We take advantage of the panorama to take some photos and then go down towards Malga Coot.
Malga Coot
Once we arrive at Malga Coot, we hardly find place to eat. Despite the low season, the hut is almost full. (Note: in summer, book well in advance).
Sitting on this natural balcony, we eat a first course each (both prepared with seasonal herbs) and a frico. The latter entered the very first place in my personal ranking of the best frico in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Quando apre Malga Coot?
Malga Coot is open every day from June to September but you may also find it open during the weekends of May and October. To be sure, check out their Facebook page.
Returning to the car
To return to the parking lot we use the paved road. We read online that it is a bit bumpy and we want to see it with our own eyes. It is not so. The road is actually a bit narrow but there are only three fords where lower cars might struggle. Stefano’s Golf, with the right attention, passed them all without problems.
The descent along the road is very fast and takes us back to the car in about 30/40 minutes. However, the presence of the forest made it also pleasant and not just faster.
Why hiking to Malga Coot?
Because like Val Alba and Val Aupa it represents one of the bulwarks of wild nature in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Despite the presence of famous trails such as the Ta Lipa Pot, Val Resia remains not very touristy. I cannot guarantee you that you will find absolute peace in August, but at any other time of the year, you probably will.
Where to eat in Val Resia?
Are you still hungry after visiting Malga Coot? Here’s where you can grab a bite:
- Al Buon Arrival (Resiutta): this trattoria is more than a restaurant. It is a real institution in the area. It serves spit-roasted chickens pretty much all day. You will find people at any time of the day and at any time of the year.
If you want to explore more hikes in Friuli Venezia Giulia
0 Comments