9 Best Places to Visit in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

1. Trieste

Trieste is the capital of the region and the biggest city here, although there are only 200,000 residents. This is where I currently call home.

Trieste was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire for over 600 years, only becoming part of Italy at the end of World War I. At the end of World War II, the city was even independent for a few years. To say it has a unique history would be an understatement.

Today, you can still see those influences in the architecture and the traditional food, although fear not, you'll still eat plenty of delicious Italian dishes here.

Although a small city, Trieste is a really wonderful one to visit. You can easily spend a long weekend here, enjoying the Adriatic Sea, a plethora of museums, the Miramare Castle, and dining at an osmiza, something that doesn't exist anywhere but here.

If you like nature, I recommend the hike along the Strada Napoleonica from Villa Opicina to Contovello and down to the castle. From here, you can walk along the coastline back to the city or take a short bus from here.

If you're planning to visit Trieste, check out our other resources that'll better help you plan and enjoy your trip:

• 3-Day Itinerary
• Best Restaurants
• Best Hotels
• Things to Do
• Day Trips to Take

Where to Stay in Trieste

If you decide to visit Trieste, I highly recommend you stay longer than just a day trip. By spending at least one night, you'll get to enjoy the city center and ideally make it over to the Miramare Castle.

📍These 3 hotel options below are located in the 3 best areas of Trieste to stay so you can pick one based on what you're hoping to see and do while here:

• Budget Option: Trieste Center Rooms & Apartments. These apartments are spacious and perfectly located right next to Viale XX Settembre, one of the best walking streets in the city.
• Mid-Range Option: Urbanauts Studios. These trendy studio apartments are located right in Cavana, the coolest and most walkable area in Trieste. This hotel isn't right on the main street but if you're a light sleeper, you might hear noise from the bars until late.‍
• Luxury Option: Savoia Excelsior Palace. Stay right on the Adriatic Sea and right to Piazza Unità d'Italia and the canal, two of Trieste's must-sees. This is the fanciest hotel in Trieste if you're seeking a taste of luxury.

‍

2. Tarvisio / Monte Lussari

If you're a sucker for a good view like I am, you'll adore Monte Lussari. This is a scenic mountain that sits above the town Tarvisio right near the border of both Slovenia and Austria.

If you've ever wondered what being inside of a snowglobe must feel like, this is the place to go in winter. Here, you can enjoy the small but challenging ski slopes. Even if you're not a skier, I recommend you take the cable car to the top of the mountain to see the town nestled at the summit. Walk around the shops and be sure to grab a bite to eat.

In other seasons, you can enjoy the mountain for hiking and mountain biking. Just know that depending on the weather, the slopes and trails might be closed in both spring and late fall. For a safer bet for hiking, I recommend planning your trip in the heart of summer (July or August).

Although the town of Tarvisio also has great restaurants and some entertainment, the main reason to visit this area is to head to the top of Monte Lussari.

Where to Stay in Tarvisio

Honestly, you can make your trip here just for the day, unless you plan on skiing, snowboarding, hiking, or biking. If that's the case, you'll likely be happy for the night here.

📍If you plan to stay longer than just a day in Tarvisio, I recommend:

• Budget Option: Maggioni Silvia: Get a great deal on this large 3-bedroom pet-friendly house rental in Tarvisio.
• Mid-Tier Option: Stella Alpina: This 1-bedroom apartment can sleep 4 and is walking distance to downtown Tarvisio.
• Luxury Option: Golfchalet 3 Confini: Enjoy golf in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. This 4-bedroom house is surrounded by nature and pet-friendly.

‍

3. Udine

Udine sits directly in between Trieste and Tarvisio, making it a convenient stop if you're making that drive. Udine was one of those places that I had little to no expectations of before visiting and was left pleasantly surprised.

The town itself is small but incredibly charming. Even in the summer, you won't see the big crowds of tourists that you will in Trieste or other parts of the country. The architecture is reminiscent of Venice, although you won't find the same meandering canals.

Throughout Italy you might hear different dialects. While the whole country speaks Italian, different areas have different local dialects. In some areas, like Naples and South Tyrol, the dialect is super important and spoken commonly. The same is true in Udine with the dialect Friulian. If you're learning Italian, this might confuse you if someone assumes you're a local and switches to dialect.

The best thing to do in Udine is to walk around the old town. You really don't need much more of a plan other than wandering aimlessly and having a glass of wine or two in a piazza. Want to try a local white wine? Go for Ribolla Gialla or Friuliano.

Where to Stay in Udine

Although you can see the main gems of Udine in a day trip from Trieste, if you want more time here (or to use it as your home base to explore the region, there are plenty of great places to stay in town.

📍Check out:

• Budget Option: Uno Sguardo Sui Tetti: This one-bedroom apartment is located just next to the train station and comes with breakfast included.
• Mid-Tier Option: Mercatovecchio Luxury Suites: Prefer a hotel? The rooms here are full of unique character and trendy decor.
• Luxury Option: Mercatovecchio Luxnofollowury Apartments: This two-bedroom apartment is nothing short of extraordinary. You'll be in the heart of Old Town with picture-perfect views.

‍

4. Grado

Grado is home to one of the best beaches in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Although most of the region runs along the Adriatic Sea, the coast is mainly rocky and doesn't have much in terms of a stereotypical beach. That is until you get to Grado.

Grado itself is a small fishing village that's really quite cute to walk around. It's a popular vacation spot in summer and home to one of the best dog beaches I've ever been to. We took our dog, Bandido, to this beach last summer and he loved it. You can rent chairs and umbrellas for you and your furry friend and let them run wild.

An interesting thing about Grado is that the water never really gets deep. I walked out from the shoreline about a kilometer and the water hardly ever got deeper than my waist, a lot of times hitting around my knees.

This is one of the reasons it's popular for dogs and kids alike. While it's not great if you love swimming, if you have young ones, you'll enjoy the fact that it's not as dangerous here.

To get to Grado, you can either drive or take the ferry (the Delfino Verde) in the summer from Trieste. This is how I went to Grado and I'd highly recommend it for an easy and relaxing day trip.

Where to Stay in Grado

When I visited Grado, I did so as a day trip from Trieste. I easily could have stayed the night to avoid having to rush back to the ferry.

📍If you want more time here, consider staying at:

• Budget Option: Seaview Beach Front Grado Pineta Andromeda: This apartment is farther away from town and nestled in the quiet beauty of Grado. If you're looking for a quiet retreat, this is a great choice.
• Mid-Tier Option: Sea Garden Apartments & Rooms: This hotel is right in the center of Grado. Although a small town, this will put you right around the beaches, restaurants, shops, and attractions. There are a variety of rooms to choose from.
• Luxury Option: Vista mare Grado: If you want to be just steps from the sand, I highly recommend you book this comfortable one-bedroom apartment.

‍

5. San Daniele del Friuli

Where are my prosciutto fans? If you just raised your hand, you're going to want to add San Daniele del Friuli to your list. If you're not, you can likely skip this one.

San Daniele is home to some of the best prosciutto in the country. Now I know that Parma is the famous town for it but according to locals, at least from this region, and Raf, who thinks he's a connoisseur, San Daniele does it best.

It's not all that uncommon to find San Daniele prosciutto throughout the region, both at the supermarket and at restaurants but by visiting San Daniele, you can go to the source.

There are plenty of restaurants in town to try the delicacy but if you want the most famous, go to Prosciutteria Dok Dall'Ava. Here, you'll have a huge prosciutto-based menu and be able to take a tour of the premises, if you want.

We ate here one day on the way home from Zoncolan (mentioned next) and although I'm a bigger fan of mortadella than prosciutto, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Where to Stay in San Daniele

Unless you're really attracted to the idea of staying in a small town, it'll be convenient to instead stay in Udine and just come here for a meal.

📍But, if you're attracted to the slow Italian lifestyle, check out:

• Budget Option: Sensory Garden: This bed and breakfast is sure to help you relax and enjoy the tranquility around you.
• Mid-Tier Option: Panorama Hotel Friuli: This boutique hotel is right in the center of San Daniele, making it easy for you to enjoy the town yet still treat yourself to a really nice getaway.
• Luxury Option: Casa Verità: If you're traveling with a book group, why not rent your own villa? This one is set just outside of the center of town and can sleep up to 12 people.

‍

6. Ravascletto / Monte Zoncolan

Ravascletto is a small, sleepy town at the foothills of Monte Zoncolan. Zoncolan is one of my favorite places to go skiing in Italy. Well, snowboarding, but you get the idea.

Although this mountain doesn't quite rival the Dolomites (but nowhere really does), it's a great choice to get plenty of bang for your buck.

The town of Ravascletto isn't really much to brag about. It's cute and cozy but doesn't offer much in terms of entertainment so my recommendation here: go for the mountains. Spend your energy out on the slopes in the winter or the hiking and biking trails in the summer and enjoy a quiet night in.

I've only ever visited Monte Zoncolan in the winter for snowboarding but have heard from others that it's known in the biking community as one of the hardest climbs there is. I'm a hiker, not a biker but if a challenge like that excites you, a summer trip here might be ideal.

Where to Stay in Ravascletto

Like I recommended in Tarvisio, if you plan to hit the slopes or challenge yourself on the bike, I would recommend staying the night to avoid an incredibly long day.

📍Check out these options in town:

• Budget Option: Casa Vacanze: This 5-bedroom pet-friendly house is located right in the center of Ravascletto.
• Mid-Tier Option: La Casa del Cucù: Just 1km from the cable car, this pet-friendly house rental is surrounded by nature.
• Luxury Option: Monte Zoncolan Rifugio: This log cabin apartment is situated right on the slopes, so you won't find a better location if you're here for skiing or hiking.

‍

7. Pordenone

If I had to liken Pordenone to something, it would be to Udine. So, if you like the idea of a small charming city that you can wander around for a few others and feel as though you've gotten off the beaten path, you'll want to add this one to your list, too.

Here, you'll see plenty of frescoes painted on the buildings and enjoy a nice stroll around town and of course, the obligatory stop for an aperitivo and a nice meal.

I've been to Pordenone only once and didn't have much time to explore but it did leave me wishing I could get to know the town better. If you're planning to travel from Trieste to Venice, Pordenone is almost exactly in the middle of the two cities, making it a good stopping point if you want to break up the trip.

Where to Stay in Pordenone

Pordenone is a great place to base yourself if you want to stretch farther than just Friuli-Venezia Giulia and visit places like Venice or Treviso, but at a much more affordable cost.

📍If that sounds like a good idea, you'll like staying at:

• Budget Option: Attico K2 Terrazza: Enjoy a central location and great views at an affordable price.
• Mid-Tier Option: De Caesar Suite: This studio apartment is also centrally located and has been recently renovated for a comfortable stay.
• Luxury Option: Casa Bella: If you want more space than just a studio, this full apartment is ideal and right in one of the main plazas in town.

‍

8. Lignano Sabbiadoro

Lignano Sabbiadoro is directly south of Pordenone on the coast. This is another of the best beaches in the region and is an alternative to Grado if you're chasing a sandy beach.

Much like Grado, the water stays shallow here and you'll be hard pressed to get out deep enough to go for a real swim. If you're an active person visiting here, you'll likely want to rent a paddleboard or try another type of watersport to get your energy out.

Although really close to Grado, this beach is harder to get to because you don't have the option to take the ferry from Trieste. You'll need to have your own car in order to visit this beach.

Where to Stay in Lignano Sabbiadoro

As I mentioned, this beach can be harder to get to unless you have a car so it'll likely be smart to stay overnight in order to fully enjoy the relaxation instead of spending your entire trip on the road.

📍Consider booking your stay at:

• Budget Option: Rosato 2 Sea View Apartment: This studio apartment is right in the center of town and just about a 10-minute walk to the beach.
• Mid-Tier Option: Hotel & Wellness Fra I Pini: Choose from a variety of rooms at this resort, ideal for those that want the pool and a restaurant on site.
• Luxury Option: Hotel Bellavista: This hotel also offers similar amenities to the one above but is located directly on the beach and has a more modern feel.

‍

9. Muggia

Last but certainly not least is the small and colorful Muggia. Muggia is a quick drive south from Trieste, directly on the border with Slovenia.

Muggia is a small fishing village but has fantastic restaurants, plenty of places to take a dip, and plenty of small town charm.

All year-round you can reach Muggia from Trieste by ferry (also the Delfino Verde), go by public bus, or by car. They don't have a train station so the fastest way to arrive from Trieste is by car or ferry. The bus is pretty easy but is also the most time consuming and least scenic.

When in Muggia, I highly recommend you treat yourself to a nice seafood dinner. There are plenty of places to choose between but if you're visiting on a weekend, you'll want to make a reservation.

In the summer, I recommend you take advantage of the long coast and go for a swim. Although there aren't any sandy beaches here, the water is fresh and there are plenty of places to dive in. This is ideal for those that enjoy swimming.

Where to Stay in Muggia

Muggia is a really easy day trip from Trieste but many who visit here fall in love with the tranquility, especially in the summer when you can spend your days basking in the sun and cooling off in the sea.

📍If that sounds nice, book a stay at:

• Budget Option: Rustic Retreat Rooms: This is a really cute bed and breakfast right on the shore, in the center of Muggia.
• Mid-Tier Option: Hotel San Rocco: This one is located north of the center but in a better position if you want to spend your days swimming in the sea.
• Luxury Option: Al Fronte Mare Suites: If you want more space, this one-bedroom apartment is right in the center of Muggia and offers nice views of the fishing port.

‍

Where Will You Visit in Friuli-Venezia Giulia?

If you dream of visiting a side of Italy even most locals don't know, I highly recommend you head to this region. It's cultural complexity, rich history, and charming towns make it a really fantastic area.

Plus, how often can you see snow-capped mountains and the deep blue sea in one vista?