A Day on Mount Etna: Nature, Cuisine, and Adventure at the Brunek Refuge

Accommodation & Rooms · Experiences & Activities · 2025

A Day on Mount Etna: Nature, Cuisine, and Adventure at the Brunek Refuge

From waking up among the larch trees to dinner with Etna wines: how time flows when the forest sets the pace.

Brunek Refuge · Ragabo Pine Forest, North Etna · Updated: May 2025 · Reading time: 6 min

There are places where time is not measured in hours but in sensations. At Rifugio Brunek, the day begins with the silence of the forest filtering through the shutters, passing through the aroma of coffee and the sound of boots on wood, and ends with a glass of Etna Rosso as the stars appear above the pine forest. It is not a formula. It is a rhythm that the place imposes on its own, and one that most guests learn to appreciate early in the morning.

Waking up: sleeping on Etna has a different sound

The morning light comes in obliquely through the larch pines and changes color depending on the season—cold and blue in winter, golden and full in summer. In the rooms of the Brunek Refuge, built with lava stone and living wood, that light enters without haste. There is no traffic, no urban noise. Only the wind in the branches and, sometimes, the call of a bird in the woods.

Those who choose to sleep on Mount Etna at the Brunek Refuge are not just looking for a bed. They are looking for this: to wake up at 1,270 meters and feel that the forest is not a backdrop but part of the room. The four rooms—from Room 1 with warm wood-paneled walls and a balcony overlooking the pine forest to the Suite with a private terrace and garden—are designed not to interrupt that feeling. Essential furnishings, natural materials, real silence.

Breakfast: the ritual that starts the day

The Rifugio bar opens at 8:00 a.m., and the air coming out of the door already has something specific about it: coffee, warm puff pastry, wood. Breakfast here is not a service to be rushed — it is the first moment of the day when you really sit down.

The French croissants come in several varieties: hazelnut, Bronte pistachio, white chocolate, berries, and whole wheat with honey. The walnut treccina is one of those details that seem small but are memorable. For those who want something more substantial before an excursion, the arancini — with ragù, alla norma, or pistachio — do the job without ceremony.

On cold mornings — and on the northern slopes of Etna, cold mornings are not uncommon even in spring — bombardino with cream or hot chocolate are obvious choices. For the full menu of the café and snack bar, see the Bar & Kitchen page for all the details.

Excursions in the Ragabo Pine Forest and on northern Etna

The location of the Brunek Refuge — at 1,270 meters on the northeast slope of Etna, in the heart of the Ragabo Pine Forest — makes it a natural starting point for exploring the area. Outside the door, the trails open up in several directions: towards the larch pine forest, towards the higher altitudes where the landscape becomes lava-covered and lunar, towards Piano Provenzana with its traces of the 2002 eruption.

In the northern Etna area, it is possible to organize trekking and guided excursions to the craters, fat bike rides on volcanic trails, snowshoeing in winter when snow covers the heights above 1,500 meters, and quad bike tours on trails that cross lava flows and woods. In summer, picnics in the pine forest or evening outings to observe the sky are among the most popular experiences.

Activities are managed by external operators and agencies in the area. For up-to-date information on availability and seasonality, it is always best to contact the refuge directly.

Lunch: signature street food after the excursion

Those returning from a trek in the pine forest or a fat bike ride don’t feel like sitting down to a formal meal. The bar at Rifugio Brunek — open until 5:00 p.m. — is the perfect solution: an informal, high-quality lunch without any fuss.

The signature sandwiches have names linked to the local area: the Brunek with Linguaglossa sausage, caciocavallo cheese, and pan-fried vegetables (€8); the Mongibello with Sicilian mortadella, stracciatella cheese, and Bronte DOP green pistachios (€10); and the Lavico with Sicilian salami, pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes (€8). The platters—cheese only, cold cuts only, or the large platter for two—pair well with a glass of Etna Rosso or Etna Bianco (€6 per glass).

Dinner: à la carte cuisine reserved for guests

In the evening, the register changes. The à la carte cuisine at Rifugio Brunek is reserved for guests of the establishment and functions as a dinner among those who share the same place, the same forest, the same day. There are not many tables, the atmosphere is intimate, and the menu accurately reflects the territory.

Among the first courses, the fresh pappardelle pasta with porcini mushrooms and Slow Food Presidium sausage (€15) is one of the most popular dishes — the kind of dish that needs no explanation. The maccheroncini with Nebrodi black pig ragù (€15) follows the same logic: ingredients with a precise history, cooked in a way that does them justice. For those who want something more delicate, the cavatelli with pumpkin cream, lemon, and caciocavallo cheese (€15) offer a different balance.

As for the main courses, the larded chicken leg stuffed with local sausage and rosemary vegetable pearls (€18) and the Slow Food Presidium pork fillet medallion with soft spiced potatoes and red wine reduction (€18) are the dishes that best represent the cuisine of the refuge: mountain-style, straightforward, with selected ingredients.

The wine list focuses on Etna DOC wines with a selection of leading producers: Frank Cornelissen, Eduardo Torres Acosta, Federico Graziani, Pietradolce, Tornatore, and Franchetti Passopisciaro. Bottles range from €30 to €100, with a wide selection between €35 and €50 covering both reds and whites from the area. For those who want to celebrate, the selection of sparkling wines includes Etna DOC Metodo Classico and a Champagne Mandois Origine Brut.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rifugio Brunek · Pineta Ragabo, North Etna · rifugiobruneketna.com