This blissfully uncrowded region is Italy's best-kept secret

Telegraph

08-04-2025

Is it down to its relative isolation from most of Italy, or its mouthful of a name? Whatever the reason, Friuli-Venezia Giulia has long slid under the radar of Italy's famously prolific tourism, remaining a secret reprieve for chic Italians, among whom it is known simply as 'Friuli'.
One of Italy's smallest regions, you can drive from its northern top to its southern coast (or, indeed, between its eastern and western edges) in just two hours, allowing for a morning skiing in the snowy Friulian Dolomites, and an afternoon basking on the white-sand beaches of the Adriatic.
On your journey between the two, you'll pass through some of the best white wine vineyards in the country, and a region defined by a complex history which has resulted in a unique blend of Slavic, German and Italian cultures. In the heartland of the region lies the true 'Friuli', an ancient culture with its own language (said to be closer to French than Italian), while further east – towards the Slovenian border – the regional capital city of Trieste, a former stalwart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, offers distinct aristocratic glamour.
Add to this a swath of sumptuous royal palaces – the result of more than 500 years of Austrian rule – and scattering of medieval towns, each replete with castles and a localised cuisine that ranges from Alpine cheese to seafood from the lagoon, and you have a very nearly perfect spot for a serene sojourn.
Start your exploration in Trieste – a seaside city which, despite its many draws, nevertheless remains far less visited, even by Italians, than the likes of similarly sized Perugia, Ravenna and Venice. It's famous for its old-world glamour, and nowhere is this more evident than at Miramare Castle, a 19th-century Habsburg residence set on a sprawling estate of manicured gardens. The cliffside castle is also a delightful spot from which to watch the annual Barcolana sailing event, when the white of countless sails almost obscures the deep blue of the Adriatic.
But among Italians, it's coffee, not boats, that Trieste is best known for. The home of Illy, one of the country's most highly regarded coffee brands, Trieste has a distinct cafe culture defined by authentic 19th-century parlours – of which Caffè degli Specchi is the most iconic, synonymous with the Piazza dell'Unità, the most photographed spot in Trieste. At all hours of the day, the outdoor tables are filled with locals sipping caffe nero (espresso) or capo in b (cappuccino), chairs turned towards the sea.
Though geographically isolated in the furthest nook of eastern Italy, Trieste is tied to the mainland via the scenic Costiera Triestina coastal road, a route which hugs the cliffs for seven miles, via rocky outcrops and Blue Flag coves (like serene white-pebble Portopiccolo), all the way to Sistiana Bay. This is only a fraction of Friuli's 80 miles of shoreline, however, much of which is also dotted by sprawling lagoons and tiny beach towns like ever-popular Grado, often known as 'Little Venice'.
Throughout the lagoon are wild, uninhabited islands accessible by boat or canoe – including remote places like Isola della Conchiglie ('The Island of Shells') – perfect for those happy to trade the services of a beach club for secluded sand and pristine nature. Serving as a buffer between the lagoon and the sea, Isola della Conchiglie offers views across the water to the quaint A-frame fishing huts (casoni) on the waters of the River Stella Mouth Reserve. Paddle over for a closer look at the bird-rich marshes and a taste of fresh fried 'frittolin' fish.
This area is the southernmost tip of the central province of Udine, the heartland of Friuli. Follow your nose inland, where the scenery changes completely in less than an hour. Far from fish fritters and sea salt, this is a land of prosciutto and fondue. Friulian staples blend Austro-Hungarian and Venetian influences in a hearty mountain cuisine supplemented by Slavic staples.
Cool weather calls for rich and warming polenta – infused with the local aged montasio cheese, made by monks in the nearby mountains since the 13th century, and topped with meaty stews like jota, and the ultimate comfort food is frico, the Friulian version of a tartiflette. But the unofficial culinary capital is perhaps best known for San Daniele prosciutto, produced in the eponymous village nearby. These artisanal ingredients and recipes are celebrated at an annual gastronomic festival, Sapori di Pro Loco, held at an extravagant Venetian palace in Udine's bucolic outskirts.
But the region's food has nothing on its wines. The grape producing area of Il Collio is sandwiched between the Adriatic coast and the Julian Alps, awash with green and golden rolling hills that could easily be mistaken for those of central Tuscany. The microclimate formed by the mountains and the sea creates versatile and crisp white wines, like Friulano, that pair as well with aromatic seafood dishes as they do rich and creamy classics like frico. Endless paths for walking, biking and horse riding connect many of the vineyards and family-run wineries, most of which welcome visitors with open arms.
Here, all roads lead to Gorizia, the heart of Friuli's wine region, a red-roofed village presided over by a medieval fortress. Like the Collio region, Gorizia spills across the border into Slovenia, once the site of Europe's last Iron Curtain border wall. When Slovenia joined the EU in 2004, the wall finally came down, and the city was returned to its pre-war form. This year – in conjunction with the Slovenian side, Nova Gorica – it made history, becoming the first-ever transnational European Capital of Culture.
Not to be outdone, the medieval-modern city of Pordenone – on the opposite side of Friuli – is also making headlines, as the latest town to achieve Italy's own country-wide 'Capital of Culture' designation. Where Gorizia has complex history and culture, Pordenone has art, spanning from brightly coloured Renaissance frescoes (earning its nickname, The Painted City), to a vibrant modern art and culture scene which includes an international silent film festival and a Museum of Comic Art.
In nearby Spilimbergo, meanwhile, art students at the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli carry forward Roman and Byzantine mosaic traditions while developing contemporary techniques of their own. For a three-euro donation, visitors can step inside and marvel at the endless carpet of their work – and those who find the experience particularly engrossing can even sign up for week-long mosaic courses.
You might, of course, prefer to return to the coast, and find yourself a pleasant sunny spot in which to while away the afternoon beside the lagoon, crisp white wine in hand. But then, this is the beauty of small but idyllic Friuli: there are no crowds and no hurry – why not do both?
Essentials
Trieste's Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta has double rooms from £380 per night. British Airways flies from London to Venice from £180 return; from there, it's roughly an hour and a half's drive to Trieste.