Italy: Friuli Venezia Giulia: Including Trieste, Udine, the Julian Alps and Carnia

This new title continues Bradt’s coverage of lesser-known but increasingly popular Italian regions and is the only guide available to Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region that forms the major part of the hinterland of Venice (but does not – despite the name – include Venice itself), and which is a convenient and fascinating place to spend time on the beach, in the Alps or relaxing in the country. It is notable also for its wines and distinctive cuisine, which, with touches of neighbouring Austria and Slovenia stirred in, are starting to attract attention around the world.

Written by long-time travel authors and Italy specialists Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls, background and practical information are complemented by ten easy-to-follow chapters, covering Trieste, its coast and the Carso, the Friuli coast, Gorizia and the Collio, Udine, Pordenone and Western Friuli, and the mountains: the Friulian Dolomites, Carnia and the Julian Alps. Set in Italy’s northeastern corner, Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse parts of the country – and also one of the least known.

With Bradt’s Friuli Venezia Giulia, explore this small but varied region in detail, from the Alps of the north to the coastal resorts, unspoiled wetlands and lagoons, and from medieval towns like Cividale del Friuli to the strange desert steppe called the Magredi and the lovely wine region of Il Collio. Discover the regional capital, caffeine-mad Trieste, where there are 67 different ways of ordering a cup of coffee, and Gorizia, one of the biggest battle fronts of World War I, which survives almost intact, with miles of trenches and fortifications open for exploration.

Bradt’s Friuli Venezia Giulia offers everything you need for a successful trip.

Long-time travel authors Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls have been tramping over Italy for decades with notebook in hand, in an unending search for the next double espresso. The two spent years living in a tiny village in the Apennines with their small children, and since then they have written over twenty regional and city guides covering every corner of Italy. 

Along the way, they’ve grown particularly fond of this unique little corner between the Alps and the sea. Dana loves the mountains, especially if they’re the sort rich in folklore and traditions and not too overrun with tourists. Carnia and the Friulian Dolomites are high on her list of special places. For Michael visiting here is closing a family circle; his Slovenian grandfather sailed from Trieste as an emigrant to America over a century ago. With his love of history he’s well at home in a region where he can learn the mysteries of a Dark Age Lombard royal court, or explore the forts and trenches of the Great War in the border zones. Both of them agree on Friuli Venezia Giulia’s culinary delights. They spend a lot of their time here cadging recipes, seeking out the best plum-stuffed gnocchi and Collio wines, and trying to learn all 67 ways you can order a coffee in Trieste.

Besides their many guidebooks the pair have contributed to a number of UK publications, including the Sunday Times, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Daily Telegraph, Wanderlust and Holiday Which? Over the past decades they have lived in and written about Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland and southwest France, where they are currently based. Most recently they have written Bradt's Emilia-Romagna and a number of app guides in the Art&Culture series, including Venice, Florence, Barcelona, Bologna and Modena and the Italian Menu Decoder (all available on both Apple and Android).