Around Grado

Grado

Grado is a lagoon city in Friuli Venezia Giulia in the province of Gorizia.

It is connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land and it is a famous tourist and spa resort also known as the “Golden Island” or the “First Venice” because of its historical events.

Originally twinned with Aquileia and then Venice, Grado also has important archaeological and early Christian evidence. However, its current fame is mainly due to its constantly sunny beaches, the sea that has boasted a Blue Flag for years, the beneficial properties of its thermal waters and its delicious traditional dishes. Grado also has a historic center with a certain Venetian charm, where you can lose yourself among squares and narrow streets that are overlooked by beautiful fishermen’s houses.

Aquileia

Is located 12 km from Grado.

It was an important city during the Roman Empire and then the main center for the spread of Christianity through northern and eastern Europe. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the sheer size of its archeological sites as well as the artistic value of its early Christian mosaics.

Trieste

It is 60 km far from Grado.

A Central European city, where you will breathe a multicultural atmosphere, which will charm you with historic cafés, art, heterogeneous architecture and enchanting sea.

The heart of the city is the most beautiful and most symbolic of all its squares, Piazza Unità d’Italia. The buildings around it perfectly summarize Trieste’s history. However, the most spectacular side of the square is the one facing the sea, from which a pier, the Molo Audace, extends for over two hundred meters.

In the distance, one can glimpse the white profile of Miramare, the romantic castle of Maximilian and Charlotte of Hapsburg.

Trieste is also the city of coffee. A free port for coffee imports from the 18th century onwards, the port of Trieste is still the busiest in the Mediterranean. In Trieste, coffee rhymes with literature: the city has numerous beautiful literary cafés with a retro charm that were once the meeting points of great novelists such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba and are still the preferred watering-holes of writers and intellectuals.

Cividale del Friuli

55 km from Grado

It a UNESCO heritage site, a beautiful Lombard village full of stories and magic.

Visit the medieval temple, the Devil’s Bridge (the name derives from a popular legend).

For a tasty break, don’t forget to savor the Gubana, a typical dessert of the area, sitting in one of the squares of this beautiful village.

Udine

50 km from Grado

This town is linked to the surrounding countryside, which supplies the local “osterie” (typical bars) with fine wines and the restaurants with local specialties.

You will also discover the strange sounds of a thousand-year old language that hasn’t changed for centuries: the Friulian dialect is still used today in families, but it is also a literary language and it is recognized and protected as minority language by the European Union.

Venzone

100 km from Grado

The old town was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1976 and rebuilt as it was in the Middle Ages. Declared a National Monument, Venzone is one of the most extraordinary examples of architectural and artistic restoration.

Take a journey through time to the Middle Ages, thanks to the Pumpkin Festival.

Venzone is also the town of lavender and you can smell it through its small streets and typical shops.