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Two-way comparison

Sappada or Forni di Sopra?

In brief

Two lived-in mountain villages, about 60 min apart, with ski areas of similar extent. Sappada is higher (1,242 m against 901 m) and dearer, and its valuations have risen. Forni di Sopra lies inside the Friulian Dolomites, costs less and has almost flat valuations. Below, the same figures for both.

Village at 1,242 m

Sappada

Fifteen hamlets in a row on the sunny slope, a language island of German origin, summer and winter almost level.

Village at 901 m

Forni di Sopra

The tourist centre of the Friulian Dolomites, in the upper Tagliamento valley below the Mauria pass, with the nature park all around.

The figures side by side

The same figures

ItemSappadaForni di Sopra
Village altitude1,242 m901 m
Pistes declared15 km13 km
Lifts declared95
Top skiable altitude2,024 m2,067 m
OMI band, from€2,000/m2€1,300/m2
OMI band, to€3,000/m2€1,950/m2
OMI, change over five years17.6%-3%
Average asking price in listings€3,577/m2€1,364/m2
From Udine, by car1 h 50 min1 h 40 min
From Trieste, by car2 h 45 min2 h 30 min
From Venice, by car2 h 30 min2 h 20 min
With €350,000, at the mid-point of the band140 m2215 m2
Overnight stays in a year118,46155,346
Relief map of the eastern Alps with Sappada and Forni di Sopraabout 60 min by car
  1. 1Sappada
  2. 4Forni di Sopra
The two places on the map of the region. The line joins the two points: it is not the route.Relief: Copernicus DEM GLO-30. Borders and roads: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

A week in winter

The two ski areas are alike: 15 km of pistes declared in Sappada, 13 km in Forni di Sopra, compact and family-sized. Forni has more vertical drop, up to 2,067 m; Sappada starts higher, from 1,245 m, and the village itself is at altitude. Both have a homologated cross-country loop; Sappada adds, a few kilometres away, the biathlon centre at Forni Avoltri. The regional ski pass is the same.

A week in summer

In both, summer weighs more than winter: 54.9% of overnight stays in Sappada, 55.5% in Forni di Sopra. In Forni you walk in the Friulian Dolomites nature park, which has its visitor centre in the village. In Sappada you climb to the Olbe lakes, to the source of the Piave, to the mountain huts, and you walk through the hamlets of Sappada Vecchia. Sappada's numbers are larger (118,461 overnight stays in a year against 55,346): more going on, and more people in August.

Getting there

From Udine you reach Forni di Sopra in about 1 h 40 min and Sappada in about 1 h 50 min; from Trieste in 2 h 30 min and 2 h 45 min. From Venice both are reached by driving up through Cadore: 2 h 20 min and 2 h 30 min. Neither has a motorway or a railway nearby, and the last hour is mountain road. They are 47 km apart.

Who each one suits

Sappada

Best suited to

  • Those who want altitude and a village with more going on.
  • Cross-country skiers and biathletes.
  • Those who look at how valuations have moved.

Strengths

  • More altitude: 1,242 m.
  • More overnight stays and two full seasons.
  • Valuations up 17.6% in five years in the central zone.

Drawbacks

  • It costs more: between €2,000/m2 and €3,000/m2.
  • A little further from Udine and Trieste.
  • In summer only one lift runs.

Forni di Sopra

Best suited to

  • Families with children and walkers who want the park.
  • Those who want to spend less for the same number of metres.
  • Those looking for a quieter village.

Strengths

  • The Friulian Dolomites and their park on the doorstep.
  • More vertical drop on skis: up to 2,067 m.
  • Lower valuations: between €1,300/m2 and €1,950/m2.

Drawbacks

  • Valuations flat or slightly down: -3% in five years.
  • A thin market and overnight stays that go up and down.
  • The village lies lower: 901 m.

The rest of Friuli Venezia Giulia is on FriuliVillas. It is the group's site for the region: for those also looking beyond Sappada.

Go to friulivillas.com

Frequently asked questions

Which costs less?

Forni di Sopra: at the mid-point of the OMI band, €1,625/m2 against €2,500/m2. With €350,000 that is about 215 m2 against 140 m2, before taxes and costs. At the asking prices in the listings, the same budget buys about 98 m2 in Sappada.

Which is closer to the Veneto?

From Venice the times are similar: about 2 h 20 min for Forni di Sopra and 2 h 30 min for Sappada. Both are reached through Cadore; on the way to Sappada the Comelico tunnel, under works, is closed at night.

Do you ski in both with the same ski pass?

Yes: the regional ski pass is valid in all the ski areas of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sappada and Forni di Sopra included.

Sources

The sources of the figures

Facts re-read against the sources on 7 October 2026

The other comparisons

All the places in the table

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