Cycling holidays in Friuli Venezia Giulia

Friuli, which forms the majority of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, is not unknown to us cyclists. Because of the large selection of cycle paths and routes, it is the perfect holiday destination for a passionate cyclist. Unlike many other Italian regions, you can expect signposted paths here. But of course sometimes you have to switch back to roads with little traffic. For the most part, however, you can look forward to unadulterated cycling fun, far away from busy roads!

The climate in northeastern Italy is very diverse. The influence of the Alps is noticeable on the border with Austria. In winter the temperatures are icy and in summer it gets hot but not humid. If you drive towards the coast of the Adriatic Sea, the average temperature rises by about 10 degrees or more. And even at night it rarely gets cold here. Perfect weather conditions to take a dip in the beautiful Adriatic after an eventful day of cycling.

On the one hand traditional, simple and down-to-earth and on the other shaped by the many influences of the neighbouring regions - this is probably the best way to describe the cuisine of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Polenta is a very simple dish, but one that is fit for a king in this country. Simply served with butter or as a casserole with prawns – almost everyone is happy with polenta. Probably the most famous product is the wonderfully aromatic San Daniele ham which is often served with figs. And in the famous coastal towns you can get all kinds of fresh fish and seafood.

Many don’t know that the beautiful city of Trieste on the upper Adriatic Sea once belonged to Austria, to the Empire of the Habsburgs. It was a very important city in the old empire. After all, it connected Austria with the Adriatic and thus became the most important and largest port of the monarchy. Trieste was a melting pot of cultures and languages. In addition to Italian, German, Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian were spoken here. However, Trieste had its own autonomy in the Habsburg Empire. When the monarchy finally fell apart at the end of the First World War, the territory of Trieste became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

• that hardly any other city in Italy is as dog-friendly as Trieste? Around 24,000 dogs are said to live in the port city on the upper Adriatic.
• that almost three times as much Prosciutto di Parma is made as San Daniele ham?
• that Trieste is the coffee capital of Italy? The well-known coffee brands Hausbrandt and Illy are based here.
• that we owe polenta to explorer Christopher Columbus? After all, he brought maize to Europe, where the Italians invented this tasty dish.