Italy is made up of 20 regions, each with distinctive characteristics. Here, you’ll get an overview of Friuli-Venezia Giulia to get you started on planning a Friuli-Venezia Giulia trip.
The little region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia has, like other border regions, a pretty interesting multi-cultural history that visitors can still see evidence of today. For instance, there are two languages widely spoken in the region besides Italian – Friulano and Slovenian.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is one of Italy’s five autonomous regions, where preservation of the local language (Friulano) and unique culture is an important facet of regional character. The ever-popular city of Venice isn’t far from the border, the region’s beaches are busy with vacationing Italians during the summer months and its mountains flooded with skiers and snowboarders in the winter, but Friuli-Venezia Giulia is ignored by most foreign visitors.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Basics
- The name of this region is the same in both English and Italian, and it’s pronounced free|OO|lee vehn|ETZ|yah JOOL|yah.
- The demonym for people or things from Friuli-Venezia Giulia is different depending on whether they’re from the Friuli portion or the Venezia Giulia portion. The demonym for Friuli is friulano (masculine singular), friulana (feminine singular), friulani (masculine plural), or friulane (feminine plural). The demonym for Venezia Giulia is giuliano (masculine singular), giuliana (feminine singular), giuliani (masculine plural), or giuliane (feminine plural).
- The capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is Trieste.
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia is in northeastern Italy and shares borders with the Veneto region, the Adriatic Sea, and the nations of Slovenia and Austria.
- There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Friuli-Venezia Giulia – the basilica and archaeological area in the city of Aquileia; and part of the town of Cividale del Friuli, one of the seven “places of power” associated with the Lombards (also called Longobards).
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Travel Tips
creative commons graphic by Otourly, modified by me
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is one of Italy’s smallest regions, and most of its landscape is mountainous – this is Dolomites country (Monte Zoncolan is one of the better-known peaks in this part of the Dolomites). The landscape of the region rolls down from those high mountains to the beaches that lie along the Adriatic.
Such a varied topography makes for some stunning scenes of natural beauty – and some challenging transportation issues.
Reaching the main cities in Friuli-Venezia Giulia by train is no trouble, but the rail lines won’t help you get into the northern parts of the region. This is region where it’s helpful to have a car.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a great option for outdoor enthusiasts regardless of the season. It’s well-known in wine circles for its exceptional white wines. There are ancient Roman ruins, fortified cities, and history that combines modern Italy with the Venetian Republic, Napoleonic rule, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There’s plenty to explore in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, but it’s far enough off the radar of most foreign visitors that those who do make the effort (and rent a car) are handsomely rewarded.
Guided Tours in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
These are affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you book one of these tours – but it won’t cost you anything extra.
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