Friuli Venezia Giulia

GRADO

The Island of the Sun, ancient Byzantine capital.

— The story

GRADO, up close

Grado is a maze of calli and campielli on an island linked to the mainland by a five-kilometre causeway across the lagoon. The Cathedral of Sant'Eufemia, early Christian mosaics, seawater spas.

And beyond the age-old charm of the historic centre beats the island's maritime heart: long golden beaches that have been awarded the Blue Flag for years, shallow, calm waters ideal for families, and the famous Lungomare Nazario Sauro, a scenic promenade overlooking the sea, from which you can admire spectacular sunsets with the outline of the Alps in the background.

Unspoilt nature surrounds the town thanks to its evocative lagoon, a mosaic of islets and channels that can be explored by boat, where the traditional casoni stand out—the old fishermen's dwellings with roofs of marsh reed—along with the Sanctuary of Barbana. At the table, the town's strong seafaring identity is expressed in a rich and genuine culinary tradition, dominated by the famous boreto alla graisana, the signature dish born around the fishermen's fires and served with white polenta.

— Gallery