Winter hike at the Fusine Lakes and in the villages of the Val Canale.

We rented a private minibus to reach the Val Canale area with a group of twenty people. The first stop was the Fusine Lakes and the nature reserve that surrounds them. We walked along the shores and visited both lakes, which, given the season, were still partially frozen. The Erasmus students enjoyed the wonderful scenery offered by these semi-frozen alpine lakes nestled among the mountains, and the geological formation of the lakes and the surrounding environment was explained to them. They were also given an introduction to the local fauna and flora.

After visiting the lakes, we got back on the minibus and headed to the main square of Tarvisio, the largest town in Val Canale. There we saw the church, the medieval tower, and took a walk around the village. The history of the area was explained to them, with particular emphasis on the strong multicultural character of these towns located near the triple border between Slovenia, Italy, and Austria.

After Tarvisio, we went to the small village of Valbruna for a stop at a historic local pastry shop, where the students had the opportunity to taste the local culinary culture firsthand. The last village in Val Canale that we visited was Malborghetto. Here we saw the main square, the medieval church, and the Venetian palace. The history of the place was explained again, and we talked about the long conflicts between Venice and Malborghetto as well as Napoleon’s passage through the area.

The final stop of the day trip was made on the way back, when we stopped at the Redipuglia Military Memorial. The memorial, surrounded by the darkness of the evening, offered a dramatic and evocative sight, and once again the historical and cultural context of the site was explained to the students.

Overall, this one-day trip was an opportunity to immerse the Erasmus students in the local history, culture, and natural environment, offering moments of reflection, enjoyment, and relaxation among the snowy Alps and historic mountain villages. It was an intentional approach aimed at presenting the students with an alternative to the fast tourism of large Italian cities, allowing them to appreciate the culture of small, isolated towns and the nature of places that are less well known than other Italian destinations, but no less rich in charm, importance, and beauty.