Between the rolling hills of the province of Treviso, full of Prosecco vineyards, and the more rural area of Belluno and her Dolomites, there’s the Mountain Pass San Boldo. On top of the mountain, there is Osteria La Muda. La Muda was once an inn where to rest and a customs house where to pay duty on the transported goods (wine, salt, fruit). Active since the Middle Ages, it is the oldest trattoria in the Veneto region, dating back to 1470.
Passo San Boldo
Until the beginning of 1900 there was only a path to walk on foot or with donkeys. Very rugged and steep, it was nevertheless fundamental to connect the two areas. There is a statute dating back to 1300, quoting the pass and the Muda, too.
The works for a new, easier path began in 1914 and were finished under the Austrian rule in 1918. It was all done in little more than three months, so that it is nicknamed the 100 days street. In order to build it, Italian, Bosnian and Russian prisoners plus local people, men and women, were put on work… relentlessly.
It is very impressive to drive up to the Muda. When you’re at the foot of the mountain and look up, you see this zig zag road going up, with a system of 5 galleries that can only be travelled in one direction at a time. Therefore, at some point there’s a traffic light regulating the access. You can take a look at the video I recorded there.
It is also a popular trail for cyclists who like to test themselves on its 18 steep hairpin turns. One of my followers told me she often go there with her husband. She’s an expat living in Friuli and she’s an expect cyclist. I honestly would collapse after 200 metres. 😀 Only looking at the cyclists on the road I got weary! One of them had lunch at the table next to us. He had a super pimped mountain bike and a go pro cam on his helmet.
The story of Osteria La Muda
The activity has been on since Middle ages, resisting also to 13 years of semi isolation when the Pass was closed for modernization works. La Muda was restored in 2007 thanks to the local community. That’s when its medieval decorations, the fireplace and the wooden beams resurfaced, together with the graffiti engraved on the walls by zattieri (raftsmen) during the Middle Ages.
In 2014, Federica and Enrico, young couple, passionate about mountains, cuisine and beekeeping, decided to left their steady jobs and took over the activity. Theid desire was to restore the Muda to its former glory. Against food waste, they offer dishes made of “less noble” cuts of meat, fresh seasonal products, preparing simple dishes, common recipes that were once very popular in the area, but considered too long to prepare nowadays in our daily lives. Interesting for my vegetarian friends, the menu always has a couple of vegetarian dishes. As for the vegan ones, only by request. Prices were more or less those of a regular restaurant, so do not expect the usual tavern or mountain cabin trattoria fees.
The osteria
Here the time has stopped. When I stepped inside the tavern I was so charmed by its romantic atmosphere and the rustic chic details.
Osteria La Muda has a tiny restaurant room, about 20 places (so better to reserve), where the true protagonist is the beautiful Larin, the 1500s fireplace. Outside, some wooden tables are ready for the warm season. I can tell, already at the beginning of April it was warm enough to eat al fresco, but the fireplace room was so cute and romantic that I preferred to stay inside.
Matteo and I were pretty satisfied with our lunch. The dishes were all tasty and the atmosphere of the place unique and relaxing. I will surely go back again if in the area.
Osteria La Muda also called La Muda di San Boldo
Closed on Wednesdays
Open all the other days from 9 am to midnight
(apart from Mondays, when it opens at 11 am)
Facebook page of La Muda
Address: Passo San Boldo, 2
31030 Cison di Valmarino, Treviso
