25 places not to miss in Friuli Venezia Giulia
A trip to Friuli Venezia Giulia is an experience for the eyes and soul: In its 7845 km² you can experience unforgettable moments between imperial cities overlooking the sea and villages in the Dolomites, breathtaking lagoons where nature reigns supreme and beaches dedicated to fun, Augustan capitals of the Roman Empire and nine-pointed Venetian fortresses, castles overlooking crystal-clear water and kilometres of golden beaches, vineyards between whose rows you can 'sip' la Dolce Vita and ski resorts between villages nestled on the peaks of the Alps. Is there any other place that packs the whole world into such a small space?
Here are the 25 definitive places to visit in Friuli Venezia Giulia!
25
Cerdevol Curnila
Crystal-clear waters between green and blue and white rocks, voted one of the ten most beautiful wild bathing places in Europe.
50 minutes from Le Mandarine.
24
Cividale del Friuli
Founded by Julius Caesar with the name Forum Iulii, from which the name Friuli comes, in 568 AD. Cividale became the seat of the first Lombard duchy in Italy and later, for several centuries, the residence of the Patriarchs of Aquileia. During your visit, don't forget to cross the famous Devil's Bridge!
20 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
23
Monte Santo di Lussari
A village built around a pilgrimage convent, perched atop a mountain 1800 metres high. There are typical alpine refuges offering genuine cuisine and hospitality, the start of ski slopes and trails.
1 hour 10 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
22
Riserva Naturale Regionale del Lago di Cornino
The turquoise-hued lake is located within the nature reserve, where it is possible to walk among waterfalls and panoramic terraces, admiring various native species of animals and plants.
30 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
21
Palmanova
A fortress city founded by the Venetians in 1593, it is called the 'star city' because of its polygonal 9-pointed star plan. This Renaissance gem is well worth a visit, particularly during one of its historical re-enactments.
20 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
20
Lignano Sabbiadoro
One of the most famous beaches in Italy for its golden sand (hence the name 'Sabbia d'oro'), an ideal destination for young people and families to have fun, thanks to the right mix of bars and clubs, as well as its beautiful pine forest, zoo and wild lagoon.
45 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
19
Castello di Duino
Owned by the same family for over 420 years, Duino Castle is, together with its park, open to visitors. From the castle there is a vast panorama of the steep cliffs overlooking the sea.
35 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
18
Grotte di Pradis
The Green Caves of Pradis are formed by a deep gorge carved into the limestone by the Cosa stream and three caves connected to it, in a spectacular setting due to the particular conformation of the site.
50 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
17
San Daniele del Friuli
The town is a pearl among the Friuli hills, known worldwide for the production of the eponymous PDO raw ham 'prosciutto'.
25 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
16
Portopiccolo Beach Club
Overlooking the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Trieste, the setting for exciting competitions, Portopiccolo is a leap into a five-star universe of wellness and luxury, characterised by excellent hospitality. With its unquestionable beauty, this nature reserve also enraptured the heart of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who wrote his great work 'Elegie duinesi' here.
40 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
15
Riserva Naturale Regionale della Foce dell'Isonzo Isola della Cona
Recognised as the best area in Italy for birdwatching, the Isonzo River Mouth Reserve is the ideal habitat for many animal species and in particular for resident and migratory birds. The integrity of the area is guaranteed by constant environmental interventions and is also entrusted to the animals themselves, such as the Camargue horses that live free in the Reserve and help control the development of the vegetation. Within the Reserve, it is also possible to book canoe tours along the waterways accompanied by an expert nature guide.
40 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
14
Gemona del Friuli
A symbol of the tenacious and hard-working character of Friuli, Gemona, nestled in the foothills of the Julian Pre-Alps, is one of the most beautiful historical towns in Friuli Venezia Giulia and holds precious treasures in its medieval historic centre. The town, known worldwide as the capital of the earthquake that devastated Friuli in 1976, is today one of the main symbols of the region's rebirth and is an example and model of 'successful reconstruction'. Numerous events and manifestations take place every year in the ancient heart of the town.
25 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
13
Barcola
This narrow strip of land facing the sea but close to the Bora in Roman times was an area rich in villas, as the remains of Villa Giulia testify. In the mid-19th century the settlement of stately homes began, and it can be reached by driving along one of the most scenic roads in the world, the site of commercials and films. Barcola also gives its name to the most crowded regatta in the Mediterranean, the Barcolana, held every second Sunday in October since 1969.
50 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
12
Colli Orientali del Friuli
Over the centuries, the profile of the slopes has been modelled by the work of generations of winegrowers. The visitor's eye can wander over the terraces and terraces of vines; but it often rests on wide wooded areas, then sweeps over the plain framed, on the horizon, by the sparkling sea.
This is the best geographic position for viticulture with the Julian Alps behind it, sheltering the vines from the cold northern currents, and the Adriatic Sea in front, providing beneficial and constant ventilation.
20 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
11
Laguna di Marano
An area of extraordinary scenic beauty that is home to unique fauna and flora of great naturalistic value. It only takes a few minutes (by boat) to find oneself completely catapulted into another, totally unexpected world: it is that of the casoni (huts) of the Marano Lagoon, real pile dwellings built with natural materials such as tamarisk wood, straw and marsh reeds, which for years have been the support points for fishermen during fishing and which make the Marano Lagoon one of the most interesting places in the Upper Adriatic.
35 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
10
Aquileia
Founded by the Romans in 181 BC, it was the capital of the 10th Augustan region and metropolis of the Christian church. Together with Ravenna and Brescia, it is the most important archaeological site in northern Italy, and together with Cividale del Friuli and Udine, it was one of the historical capitals of Friuli, whose banner with the eagle (aquila) is derived from the coat of arms of Aquileia. It has been a UNESCO site since 1998 for the importance of its archaeological area and the beauty of the floor mosaics it holds.
30 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
09
Gorizia
European Capital of Culture 2025. A small and pleasant city, where the Habsburg past still lives on in the palaces and gardens, Gorizia, crossed at its heart by the Slovenian border, is a symbol of the troubled history of 20th century Europe.
40 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
08
Muggia
On the last strip of Italy, the coastline seems to fold in on itself: this is where the Bay of Muggia opens up, a characteristic resort with Istrian-venetian features. Landing in the picturesque harbour, one almost feels as if entering the calli and piazzas. The Venetian-style atmosphere is not only evident in the architecture: the dialect, customs and gastronomic traditions also reveal an intense past shared with the Serenissima.
Looking at Muggia from the sea, the white Istrian stones and colourful houses create a harmonious whole with the verdant Karst environment. It is framed by seven kilometres of coastline and a crown of hills that panoramically dominate a vast area, both Italian and Istrian.
1 hour from le Mandarine Apartments.
07
Castello di Miramare
Castle surrounded by a large park, originally built between 1856 and 1860 in the locality of the same name as the residence of Maximilian of Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduke of Austria and later Emperor of Mexico, and his consort Charlotte of Belgium. This fabulous white marble residence built overlooking the sea was one of the favourite places of the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavaria 'Sissi', who loved to reside there and was able to see the sea here for the first time.
50 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
06
Carnia
That of Carnia is an ancient and proud mountain, sculpted in the traditions and genuineness of the people who inhabit it, rich in taste like the products that its land can offer, uncontaminated and authentic like the environment that hosts it. Inhabited for thousands of years by a people that has never lost its pride, Carnia preserves in its mountains a peculiar cultural and religious heritage, represented by Roman archaeological remains and typical rural villages, small parish churches and Celtic rites.
30 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
05
Collio
Take a break from restlessness: a universe where Cartesian logic submits to a stillness in the form of hills and vineyards. An area rich in historic residences and castles to visit while tasting local wines and traditional products. Ideal to be discovered slowly, perhaps riding a bicycle through its gentle ups and downs, riding a Vespa or, why not, a horse.
25 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
04
Pordenone
Called the painted city for the many frescoed palaces that can be admired along the course through the historic centre. Dynamism and creativity are evident in the artistic, musical and literary production and in the many international events that have made it a rich and original cultural reality.
The heart of the city, with its cafés, pastry shops and elegant boutiques, is ideal for a stroll between shopping and art. The city was the birthplace of the great Renaissance painter Giovanni Antonio de Sacchis, better known as 'il Pordenone', whose masterpieces can be seen in St. Mark's Cathedral and the beautiful Museo civico d'Arte.
For those who prefer the natural environment, a few steps from the centre the Noncello River offers a scenery of peaceful and quiet corners.
50 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
03
Laghi di Fusine
The Fusine Lakes are one of the most characteristic corners of the Friuli Venezia Giulia mountains, constituting a natural world of their own: two clear pools of water at the base of a basin of imposing mountains. Two basins of glacial origin, one upper and the other lower, connected by an underground system of waters that turn to ice in winter in one of the coldest corners of Italy. The magic of the cold in Fusine is the white story of the frost that draws its crystals on the icy surface of these basins, or the white powdery blanket that covers the forest, leaving space for white paths where you can explore the wonder with snowshoes or skis. Autumn has amber reflections on the lakes and the colours of nature as it falls asleep fill the palette of emotions along with the explosion of blossoms of the beautiful season.
1 hour 10 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
02
Isola e Santuario della Madonna di Barbana
Island at the eastern end of the Grado Lagoon, home to one of the oldest Marian shrines in the world, dating back to 582 AD. Since 1237 Barbana has also been the destination of the famous Perdòn, the procession that the community of Grado performs every first Sunday of July aboard boats to renew an ancient vow to the Virgin Mary that would save the town from a terrible plague epidemic.
45 minutes from le Mandarine Apartments.
01
Trieste
Beautiful and cultured, Trieste is the most cosmopolitan city in Italy. One can breathe in the glorious Habsburg past, and in the intersections of languages, peoples and religions that still characterise it, one can easily sense its Central European and Mediterranean soul. Tergeste's Roman heritage is still visible in the numerous remains and monuments, such as the Roman theatre and the archaeological area. Piazza Unità d'Italia is one of the most beautiful squares in the world overlooking the sea. The buildings facing it are a perfect synthesis of Trieste's history. The most spectacular side of the square, however, is the side facing the sea, on which the Molo Audace stretches for over two hundred metres. From here, your gaze goes beyond Piazza Unità and opens onto monumental palazzi, the Greek Orthodox church of San Nicolò, and the Canal Grande, the centre of what was once the borough commissioned by Maria Theresa of Austria and whose churches bear witness to the happy coexistence of different religions. In the distance, the white profile of Miramare, the romantic castle of Maximilian and Charlotte of Habsburg, can be seen. Trieste is also the city of coffee. A free port for coffee imports since the 18th century, the port of Trieste is still the most important in the Mediterranean for its traffic. But coffee in Trieste also rhymes with literature: there are numerous and beautiful literary cafés, historic venues with retro charm once frequented by great authors such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo, Umberto Saba and still much loved by writers and intellectuals today. Taking a break in one of Trieste's historic cafés is a real ritual not to be missed, for which one must also learn a special jargon: here espresso is called 'nero', but what about 'gocciato' or 'capo in b'? Finding out will be a pleasure!
