Alpine Dairy Priu

Malga Priu sits at 1,257m in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, above the Val Fontanis in the Julian Alps. Reach it from the village of Claut by hiking 2.5 hours north through beech and spruce forest. The trail is well-marked and gains 600m steadily but not steeply. The malga operates as a working dairy farm where they still produce cheese and butter using traditional methods during the warmer months.

The hut offers basic accommodation in shared rooms and a small restaurant serving simple mountain food—expect cheese, salumi, soup, and polenta. Most visitors come for lunch while hiking the area's network of trails: day walks to nearby peaks, or longer routes toward Rifugio Pordenone or the Ghedina pass. The malga closes in winter and operates sporadically in autumn depending on weather and the dairy calendar. Capacity is small, around 20 beds, and it fills quickly on weekends in July and August.

Book ahead for any overnight stay. Contact directly by phone or ask locally in Claut—the hut keeps irregular hours and does not maintain an online booking system. Day visitors can usually walk in without advance notice, but phone ahead to confirm they're serving meals. Bring cash; card payments are unreliable.