UNESCO Sites of Friuli Venezia Giulia: From the Dolomites to the Sea

Arrival in Forni di Sopra, framed by the peaks of the Friulian Dolomites, where the Tagliamento River originates. In the late afternoon, enjoy a tasting at the local brewery, where numerous beer specialties are produced craft-style.

Accommodation in hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

DINNER AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN HOTEL

CRAFT BEER TASTING

In the morning: Meet the naturalist guide and take the cable car up to Monte Varmost, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the Friulian Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009. This recognition was awarded due to the region’s extraordinary natural beauty. There are also easy hiking trails at high altitudes, passing through former alpine pastures and larch forests.

Snack at Malga Varmost (open from June to September), where you can taste typical products of the alpine farm.

Descend back to Forni di Sopra and visit the Church of San Floriano to admire the polyptych by “Bellunello”, a 15th-century painter. Then, enjoy a walk through the historic center, where you can admire the traditional stone and wood houses, as well as the “murals” by Spadavecchia.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN HOTEL

SNACK AT MALGA VARMOST

In the morning, follow the course of the Tagliamento River, the last wild river in Europe, which is a candidate to become a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Depart for Venzone, elected the most beautiful village in Italy in 2017. Here, enjoy a guided tour of the historic center and the impressive defensive system, carefully restored after the 1976 earthquakes. Visit the Cathedral, the Chapel of San Michele, home to the Museum of Mummies of Venzone, and the Town Hall.

Lunch in a restaurant, then continue to Cividale del Friuli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. Meet the guide and explore this town, which preserves valuable traces of its Lombard past, including the Tempietto Longobardo, the Christian Museum, the Monastery of Santa Maria in Valle, and the Devil’s Bridge.

At the end, check in at a hotel in Cividale del Friuli or nearby.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN HOTEL

LUNCH IN A RESTAURANT

In the morning, depart for the Colli Orientali del Friuli wine region, a borderland where Italian, Slovenian, and Austrian elements coexist. It’s a harmonious landscape of hills covered with well-ordered rows of vines, forests, small villages, castles, and churches. Visit a local winery, enjoy a short walk through the vineyards with the producer, and taste the fine DOC wines, accompanied by a platter of typical local products.

Continue to Palmanova, a star-shaped fortified town built by the Venetian Republic. Meet the guide and take a walk to admire the beautiful Piazza Grande, with its palaces, splendid examples of Venetian military architecture, monumental gates, and the bastions protecting the town.

Next, visit Aquileia, the ancient Roman city founded in 181 B.C. that became a center for the spread of Christianity. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the visit includes the forum, port, decumanus, and the Basilica Patriarchal of the 4th century with its precious pavement mosaics and the crypt with frescoes.

Arrive in Trieste or nearby for hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight stay.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN HOTEL

WINE TASTING WITH A PLATTER OF TYPICAL LOCAL PRODUCTS

In the morning, depart for Miramare Castle, built at the behest of Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg in 1856. The castle is situated on a promontory overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. Tour the interiors with their lavish original furnishings in the representative rooms and private apartments, rich in works of art. Take a stroll through the magnificent botanical park surrounding the castle.

Lunch in a restaurant in Trieste.

Visit Trieste, a beautiful, cultured, and refined city, open to the blue Adriatic Sea. Explore the historic center with an audioguide, including Piazza Unità d’Italia, known as the “living room of Trieste,” surrounded by elegant buildings. Visit Piazza della Borsa, Canal Grande, and the center of Borgo Teresiano, named after Maria Theresa of Austria. This area is a testament to the harmonious coexistence of different religions, as evidenced by its churches.

Check in at the hotel in Trieste or nearby, followed by dinner and overnight stay.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN HOTEL

LUNCH IN A RESTAURANT

In the morning, ascend to the Karst Plateau, a limestone rocky plateau extending along the entire eastern border of Friuli Venezia Giulia. This region is unique for its nature and history.

(From Friday to Saturday, a guided tour of the Giant’s Cave is available, a natural wonder.)

Lunch in a typical “osmiza”, a local establishment on the Karst Plateau, where you can enjoy regional specialties.

Afterward, descend to the Duino Cliffs Nature Reserve to walk along the famous “Rilke Path”, named after the poet who spent a long time here.

Return to Trieste along the coast, stopping at Portopiccolo, an elegant village developed from an old quarry, now home to shops, bars, a hotel, and a well-equipped beach.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN HOTEL

LUNCH IN A TYPICAL “OSMIZA ON THE KARST”

In the morning, check-out and conclusion of the tour.

BREAKFAST IN HOTEL