Italy Guide
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Bordering Austria to the north and Slovenia to the east, Friuli-Venezia Giulia has always been a major bone of contention amongst rival powers. Today, Slavic, Germanic and Italian populations all call it home and you may hear the distinct sound of Friulano being spoken (a Romance language related to Swiss Romansch). The area's landscapes are equally varied with one-half alps and about one-third limestone plateaux (carso) and alluvial plains, with coastal shelving adorning the Adriatic.
The cities and towns here are as wildly dissimilar as one might expect. Trieste, the capital, is an urbanely elegant Habsburg creation, instituted by Austria to showcase the empire's greatest port. In spirit and appearance it is essentially Central European, a character it shares with Gorizia, to the north, though the latter has an even more Slavic flavour, and in fact straddles the border with Slovenia. Both cities provide access to walkabouts in the Carso – the windswept, cave-riven terrain that extends from here on eastward into Slovenia – while Trieste also boasts the classy beach resorts of the Triestine Riviera. A bit farther along, Udine's architecture and art collections evoke Venice at its grandest, while tiny and ancient Cividale del Friuli preserves a picturesque historic centre perched on the gorge of the Natisone River. The archeologically minded, however, head straight west to Aquileia, site of some of the most important Roman and most extraordinary Christian remains in Italy, and to the lagoon resort of Grado, which conceals a beautiful early Christian centre crowded round by beach hotels. Finally, in the far north of the region the Carnia is trying to develop itself to compete with the Dolomites for skiing and hiking, though in truth it has little over its neighbour other than the peace and quiet of a relative backwater.
Highlights
1 Trieste From the castle atop San Giusto hill, take in a panoramic view of this elegant and inviting maritime city.
2 Grotta Gigante The world's largest accessible cave.
3 Osmizze An osmizza lunch is a taste of the Carso's Slovene culture.
4 Aquileia's basilica The glorious mosaic pavements by Theodore rank among the most important monuments of early Christendom.
5 Udine's Piazza della Libertà The central piazza of the region's second town is a perfect ensemble of historic Venetian buildings.
6 Tempietto Longobardo, Cividale The exquisite statues in this tiny Cividale chapel are among the most splendid ninth-century works.
7 The Carnia The lakes and mountains here offer the perfect backdrop to some gentle hiking.