Friuli Venezia Giulia Holidays

Bordered by the Adriatic and the eastern range of the Dolomites the region offers a striking contrast of long sandy beaches and craggy cliffs along a coastline stretching into the Gulf of Trieste together with a beautifully scenic interior of crystal clear alpine lakes, snowy mountain-tops, limestone plateaus and verdant valleys with pine forests, gently rolling hills and vineyards.

Tucked away in Italy’s most north easterly corner, the small and little-visited Friuli Venezia Giulia area sits next to the Veneto region, is lapped by the Adriatic Sea, dominated by spectacular mountain ranges, and shares a border with Slovenia and Austria.

The area having been invaded variously by the Romans, Slavs and Venetians and annexed by the Austrian Hapsburgs has ensured a culturally and gastronomically fascinating region, as well as linguistically interesting with Italian as well as Slovene, German and a local Friulian dialect spoken.

The area is renowned for its cured hams, cheeses and white wine with the sweet cured Prosciutto di San Daniele, aged Montasio cheese and DOC classified wines exported all over the world and the local cuisine influenced by history with Slavic goulash and dumplings and boiled pork with sauerkraut sharing space on the menu with polenta dishes typical of Italy’s northern region and delicious seafood attributed to the Venetians, as well as Germanic strudels for dessert.