# Friuli: from the Adriatic lagoons to the Julian Alps

> 4-day road trip of about 200 km (124 mi) with 8 stops, from Trieste to Fusine Lakes. About 2 h 46 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b1-friuli/

**At a glance:** 4-day road trip of about 200 km (124 mi) with 8 stops, from Trieste to Fusine Lakes. About 2 h 46 min of driving in total. Habsburg Trieste, Roman Aquileia, a star-shaped fortress town and Lombard Cividale, then north to mountain lakes on the Slovenian border.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 200 km (124 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 46 min |
| Suggested days | 4 |
| Stops | 8 |
| Route | Trieste → Fusine Lakes |
| Countries | Italy |
| Updated | September 19, 2026 |

## Route description

After Trieste’s grand squares and cafés, follow the coast road to Miramare Castle and its park. Beyond Duino the road leaves the Karst cliffs for the flat lagoon country, and a causeway leads out to Grado, an island town with a compact old centre and long beaches.

Aquileia, just inland, was one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire; the basilica’s mosaic floor alone repays the stop. Palmanova, a few kilometres north, was built by Venice in 1593 as a perfect nine-pointed star, and you can walk or cycle along its ramparts.

Cividale del Friuli sits on the gorge of the Natisone, with the Lombard Temple, a medieval bridge and a good little archaeological museum. Continue north past Udine and up the Tagliamento valley to Venzone, a walled town destroyed by the 1976 earthquake and rebuilt stone by stone.

The A23 motorway (E55) and the older SS13 run on through the Canal del Ferro to Tarvisio, close to Austria and Slovenia. The Fusine lakes lie just east of the town, with an easy trail between them; the area is at its best in late spring and in autumn.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Trieste** (Italy)
2. **Miramare Castle** (Trieste, Italy): A white castle on a rocky point built for Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, with a seaside park open freely. Parking on the coast road is limited, so arrive early.
3. **Grado** (Italy)
4. **Basilica of Aquileia** (Aquileia, Italy): The basilica of a once great Roman city, floored with a vast 4th-century mosaic of fish, birds and biblical scenes. The Roman forum and river port are a short walk away.
5. **Palmanova** (Italy)
6. **Lombard Temple of Cividale** (Cividale del Friuli, Italy): A small 8th-century chapel with rare Lombard stucco saints, above the gorge of the Natisone. Cross the Devil’s Bridge in the old town afterwards.
7. **Venzone** (Italy)
8. **Fusine Lakes** (Tarvisio, Italy): Two green lakes in the forest below the Mangart, a few kilometres from the Slovenian border. An easy trail links them; beautiful in autumn colours.

## FAQs

**How long is Friuli: from the Adriatic lagoons to the Julian Alps?**
4-day road trip of about 200 km (124 mi) with 8 stops, from Trieste to Fusine Lakes. About 2 h 46 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Friuli: from the Adriatic lagoons to the Julian Alps?**
We suggest 4 days: about 2 h 46 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Friuli: from the Adriatic lagoons to the Julian Alps start and end?**
It starts in Trieste and ends in Fusine Lakes.

**Which countries does Friuli: from the Adriatic lagoons to the Julian Alps pass through?**
Italy.