Hidden away in Italy’s north-eastern corner, cradled among the Alps, the Venetian plains and the Adriatic Sea, Friuli stretches from the vine-covered foothills in the north to the beaches of Grado and Palladian villas and campanile-dotted towns on the coast. Bordering Austria and Slovenia, this semi-autonomous regions is rarely visited even by Italians, making it a fanastic destination for travellers who want to get off the beaten tourist trail. Strategically and historically a gateway to the East, Friuli was a vital outpost of Roman rule, with Aquileia serving as a bastion against marauding Gauls. Later, the march of history having seen invasions from German and Slavic armies, Friuli finally came under Austrian Hapsburgs, with its largest town, Trieste, becoming a bustling trading port. At this time, immigrants flocked here from all over the Mediterranean and beyond, giving Italy’s easternmost city a cosmopolitan air matched at the time only by Naples. Known for its cured ham, seafood and distinctive, full-bodied reds, Friuli’s cuisine is famously rustic affair drawing influences from all directions, with delicious goulashes and sauerkraut dishes sitting alongside Italian classics. Twenty five miles from the Slovenian border, beautiful Udine has some of the loveliest cafes and restaurants in Italy. Snow-capped mountains, warm sandy beaches, rocky coastal cliffs, enchanting landscapes dotted with vineyards and castles, Roman ruins, country villas, idyllic villages, delicious food and prestigious wines – it’s a one-region Italy in miniature.
Local highlights
The spacious boulevards and handsome facades of Trieste, referred to by many as Vienna-on-Sea; the foothills of Friuli’s western border, with river towns, ancient castles and abbeys, and fantastic, rustic mountain cuisine; Aquileia, the most important archaeological site in northern Italy; Muggia, a pretty fishing village and final outpost before the Slovenian border; the wide, sandy beaches of Grado; Works by Tiepolo in the Duomo and the Oratoria della Purita in Udine; the exquisite 8th century chapel of Tempietto Longobardo in Cividale del Friuli; the spectacular limestone plateau of the Carso between Gorizia and Trieste; outstanding wines such as the white Ribolla and Pinot Grigio.
Getting out and about
Getting around on the local trains is very economical and simple; timetables can be picked up from local tourist offices, and in many smaller towns, bus tickets are sold in bars and tabaccherie. However, services can be limited out of high season and on Sundays, so car-hire, which we include with Friuli hotels, is an excellent option, with roads very good, if narrow and twisting in places.
Travel arrangements
By air to Verona with daily flights with British Airways from London Gatwick and Venice with daily flights with British Airways daily flights from Gatwick. Most of the hotels in Friuli are no more than a couple of hotels from one of the airports. We include a hire-car will all our holidays here as you really do need a car to make the most of your holiday in this region. However, if you want to combine a stay in the countryside here with perhaps a few days in Trieste or Venice then we can arrange for you to pick up or drop off the car after or before your stay in the city. With your own car Friuli can be reached easily with two overnight stops from the UK, perhaps in Alsace and then the Italian Lakes. We can make the hotel reservations for you in France as well. In addition to holidays by air, you may also be interested in holidays by rail (including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and an overnight sleeper service from Paris to Italy), rail travel whilst you are in Italy or taking your own car all the way to
Italy (self-drive holidays).