Itinerary discovering Friuli Venezia Giulia


ITINERARY IN FRIULI–VENEZIA GIULIA

Friuli Venezia Giulia lies between two cultural worlds, the Mediterranean one and the Slavonic – Germanic one. The following itinerary explores the beauties of this land from Udine to Trieste, the capital city of the region.

Features
Typology: Culture, Nature, Food and Wine
Route: 102 km
Journey by car, by bike
Recommended season: any


Curiosities
The biggest tourist cave in the world is in Friuli Venezia Giulia and its name is Grotta Gigante ("Giant Cave"), it is located near Sgonico, in the province of Trieste. The maximum height of its vaults reaches almost 100 meters. The whole complex dates back to 10 millions of years ago.
Specialties: polenta, San Daniele ham, jota soup
Wines: : Collio Bianco, Carso Terrano, Carso Merlot



The itinerary
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The Stops

 
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UDINE
Udine has a town center of great value, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages. Among the monuments that are well worth a visit there are the Cathedral, built in the 14th century, the Church of Santa Maria di Castello, with its charming belltower from the Reinassance, and the Bishop's Palace, where you can admire some rooms decorated by the great painter Tiepolo. We should mention piazza Libertà, "the most beautiful Venetian square on the mainland" and piazza delle Erbe, surronded by arcades. Do not miss the Gallery of Modern Art, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Photography.

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PALMANOVA
Palmanova is a famous city worldwide (listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites): it is popular because of its star-shaped, perfectly symmetrical plan. It is a real masterpiece of the military architecture of Friuli: a fortress-city planned and built in order to protect the regional borders from foreign threats, mostly from the Turks. Its most important monuments are the three Doors (Aquileia, Udine and Cividale) opening onto the monumental Piazza Grande. Do not miss the Historical Museum of the City (Civico Museo Storico), which enshrines weapons, relics and documents illustrating the history of the fortress-city from its birth to the Second World War.

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AQUILEIA
A town of great historical charm, Aquileia was colonized in 181 BC for its strategical importance related to the Danube river, with the aim of defending the borders and of fostering trade. Aquileia enshrines an archaeological site of outstanding relevance, listed among the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO: the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and its early Christian mosaics (4th century). In order to get to know the history of the early Christian Aquileia it is necessary to visit the Crypt of the Excavations ("Cripta degli Scavi") in a church built in the 4th century by bishop Teodoro on the foundations of an ancient Roman villa.

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NATURE RESERVE OF THE ISONZO RIVER'S MOUTH
This protected area of over 2,000 km2 covers the provinces of Udine and Gorizia, and it is a great wealth from the point of view of flora and fauna. Among the recently-introduced species there are some specimens of the Camargue Horse, an animal that is well suited to live in a damp environment. In this place, characterized by freshwater marshes, prairies, woods and flood plains, it is possible to make excursions on horseback or by boat.
 
 
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TRIESTE
A borderland and a town which inspired many authors, such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba, Trieste is an elegant city overlooking the Adriatic, popular for the strong wind that often blows there. From piazza dell'Unità – among the most evocative and widest squares in the world – to the baroque, liberty and neoclassical palaces, the city has always been a crossroads of religions (the Helvetian church is the most ancient in town). Don't miss the castles of Miramare (where Maximilian I used to live) and Duino, directly overlooking the sea.

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Christmas on a farm
Christmas on a farm
New Year's Eve on a farm
New Year's Eve on a farm
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