UDINE

Udine can be reached in 30 minutes by car from Albergo ai Sapori. A town of squares with Venetian charm and old palaces: from Piazza Libertà, which is called “the most beautiful Venetian square on the mainland”, to Piazza Matteotti (or delle Erbe), which is surrounded by arcades. On the hill of the city stands the castle, from which you can enjoy a spectacular view. Distinctive flavors, cultural events and traditional festivals such as Friuli Doc, museums for every taste complete the offer of this beautiful city. Experience the “Tajut” ritual: a good glass of wine to enjoy in a sociable atmosphere. Shopping between well-kept shops and craft shops, cafes and historic taverns: a city on a human scale, where industrious and friendly people live.

GEMONA DEL FRIULI

Gemona, a 20-minute drive from Albergo ai Sapori, in the Julian Prealps, is one of the most beautiful historical places in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and holds valuable treasures in its historic center of medieval origin. Do not miss the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta with its Romanesque-Gothic architecture, the wonderfully restored Palazzo Elti, which is the original appearance and the seat of the museum, the Cineteca del Friuli, with a valuable collection of photos and videos and the sanctuary of Sant’Antonio, which seems to be the oldest church in the world, dedicated to the saint of Padua. It still preserves the ruins of the 13th-century church, which the saint himself erected in honor of the Madonna.

Every year, on the first weekend of August, the “Tempus est jocundum” event takes place in the old heart of the city with ladies and knights, wandering theater companies, merchants and skilled artisans, animations and lively and crowded tavernas. Instead, the Epiphany of the Thaler, an ancient ceremony rich in ritualistic gestures, will be celebrated on January 6th.

THE HOUSE OF THE BORDANIAN BUTTERFLIES

“La Casa delle Farfalle” is a corner of tropical forest, just 25 minutes’ drive from Albergo ai Sapori. It is the largest exhibition of butterflies and insects in Italy, with 1,000 square meters of heated greenhouses and an equal number of exhibitions and workshops.

A small trip to the tropics awaits you, surrounded by hundreds of colorful butterflies, but also an environmental education center with thematic events, courses and seminars, proposals for naturalistic and ecologically sustainable tourism, awareness and protection campaigns, and conservation projects in the developing countries.

Due to its geomorphologic features, many local butterflies have always been native to Bordano (over 100 butterflies and 500 moths). This makes the city a real open-air laboratory that can be explored on easy and well-equipped trails.

LAGO DI CAVAZZO

The largest of the Friulian natural lakes (6500 m long) and 20 minutes by car from Albergo ai Sapori. The lake belongs to the territory of the three municipalities of Cavazzo Carnico, Bordano and Trasaghis and gives tourists the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities.

It is also known as Lago di Cavazzo and offers the opportunity to practice fishing or other water sports such as rowing, windsurfing, sailing or just swimming. Pedal boats and boats can also be rented.

The area is rich in nature trails and bike paths. For those who want to relax surrounded by nature, Cavazzo offers areas where you can picnic in the shade of the trees.

VENZONE

An ancient city that was destroyed by the 1976 earthquake and rebuilt as it was in the Middle Ages. Venzone was declared a National Monument and voted “Borgo dei Borghi 2017”. Let yourself be fascinated by the imposing medieval walls and the numerous historical monuments such as the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea and the mysterious and ancient chapel of San Michele, home of the ancient mummies.

The Town Hall is a great example of a Venetian Gothic palace.

Enjoy the view by exploring the paths of the Julian Prealps Nature Park or taking wonderful walks along the ancient Celtic path that connects the 15th-century churches that surround the city. Every year at the end of October, the Festa della Zucca takes place, at the festival, warriors, knights and nobles, beggars, musicians, jugglers and many other mediaeval personalities appear in the historical center. The undisputed star, however, is the pumpkin in all its shapes, dimensions and recipes.

CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI

It is a 40-minute drive from Albergo ai Sapori. Cividale was founded in 568 AD by Giulio Cesare, called Forum Iulii.

The city preserves important Lombard remains, most notably the Tempietto, one of the most extraordinary and mysterious architectures of the western High Middle Ages. At the Museo Cristiano del Duomo you can admire the altar of Duke Ratchis and the baptistery of the Patriarch Callisto, while the National Archaeological Museum exhibits the kits of the Lombard Cividale.

This historical and artistic heritage was recognized by UNESCO in 2011. But even without these treasures, Cividale deserves a visit only for recent exhibitions: the CIPS, dedicated to the puppets of Cividale Vittorio Podrecca, the largest Italian puppet theater artist.

PALMANOVA

Built in 1593 by the Republic of Venice, Palmanova is a 40-minute drive from Albergo ai Sapori, a fortified town that has been preserved under exceptional conditions.

National Monument since 1960, in 2017 it became part of UNESCO World Heritage.

The monumental entrance gates and the three fortifications from the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries are characterized by a plant in the shape of a perfect nine-pointed star. On the Piazza Grande, a huge military square located right in the middle of the fortress, is the permanent exhibition of artificial instruments and machinery used to build Palmanova.

On the first weekend of September, Palmanova hosts a great historical reenactment. Palma in arms: More than 800 people in costumes from the 17th century commemorate the beginning of the Uscocchi war between Austria the Habsburgs and the Republic of Venice, to which Palmanova belonged until the fall of the Serenissima of Napoleon in 1797.

GRADO AND AQUILEIA

Grado, Aquileia’s daughter, is an elegant seaside town an hour’s drive from Albergo ai Sapori. In the old town, the basilica of Santa Eufemia and the adjacent basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie dominate with their Venetian charm between Campielli and streets dominated by the picturesque fishermen’s houses. It is known as the island of the sun, because its three kilometers of beaches, facing south, are never in the shade and also because the sun never sets because of its special microclimate. Organized Beachfront: Excellent equipped, excellent beaches provide relaxation and fun for adults and children. A well-developed network of cycle paths allows pleasant trips into the outback.

Just a few kilometers from Grado is Aquileia, an important city of the Roman Empire and the main center for the spread of Christianity in Northern and Eastern Europe, its archaeological site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. The largest and most famous is the 4th century Basilica of S. Maria Assunta. There are also other valuable mosaic remains from the Roman and early Christian periods, which make Aquileia a kind of capital of the Roman mosaic.

In addition to the Basilica complex, the Palaeokristian National Museum and the National Archaeological Museum must be included in your visit.