itineraries
WHERE TO GO
GRADO
Originally twinned with Aquileia and then Venice, Grado also has important archaeological and early Christian evidence. However, its current fame is mainly due to its constantly sunny beaches, the sea that has boasted a Blue Flag for years, the beneficial properties of its thermal waters and its delicious traditional dishes. Grado also has a historic centre with a certain Venetian charm, where you can loose yourself among squares and narrow streets that are overlooked by beautiful fishermen’s houses.
PALMANOVA
Palmanova, the famous Renaissance fortress town in the shape of a perfect nine-pointed star, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. Together with the Roman Aquileia and Torviscosa, an industrial twentieth century town, it is at the centre of an itinerary in the history of European urban planning.
AQUILEIA
Aquileia was an important city during the Roman Empire and then the main centre for the spread of Christianity through northern and eastern Europe. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the sheer size of its archeological sites as well as the artistic value of its early Christian mosaics. The two national museums and the extraordinary patriarchal basilica are visited by hundreds of visitors every day.
TRIESTE
Beautiful and cultured, Trieste is Italy’s most cosmopolitan city. Echoes of its glorious Habsburg past still resonate, and its characteristic blend of languages, peoples, and religions allows one to easily sense its combined Central European and Mediterranean spirit.
The heart of the city is Piazza Unità d’Italia, the most beautiful and symbolic of all its squares. The buildings surrounding it perfectly encapsulate Trieste’s history. However, the most spectacular side of the square is the one facing the sea, where the Molo Audace pier stretches over two hundred meters. From here, the view extends beyond Piazza Unità to the monumental palazzi and the Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicolò on the Trieste Canal Grande (Grand Canal), the center of the neighborhood built under the auspices of Maria Theresa of Austria. The churches in this district testify to the harmonious coexistence of different religions.
In the distance, the white profile of Miramare, the romantic castle of Maximilian and Charlotte of Habsburg, can be glimpsed.
VENICE
Venice is a city of eternal charm, ancient yet never static, every moment different thanks to the sea that binds it inextricably to itself. Nothing moves more than the sea.
Those who experience Venice for the first time are mesmerised by the sea, its sounds, its smell and the myriad of colours and lights that are reflected in it as they move through the labyrinth of streets and canals.
Venice was born in the 9th century in the Venetian lagoon, on the islet of Rialto. It consists of the central island and many islets scattered around the lagoon, each with its own unique characteristics.