Jetsettersblog

Grado (Italy) is a charming island on the Adriatic Sea known for its world class beaches.

MILANO, ITALY – Grado is the only Adriatic resort whose beaches all face south. It therefore enjoys a particularly favourable position: kilometres of fine sand, the cleanest sea (European Blue Flag for the past 19 years), a beach for sunbathing, swimming, playing, sports; the best hotels, self-catering accommodation, campsites and holiday villages surrounded by greenery and convenient for visiting Friuli’s many places of interest.

Discovering Grado means finding out what makes a holiday in this seaside resort truly unique. Here, history, tradition, the sea, nature, fine food and wine and a rich calendar of events make the golden isle – so called for its powdery-fine, sun-kissed sand – a tourist destination that always has something new and exciting to offer for a multifaceted holiday.

Choosing Grado means enjoying the best tourist facilities and the finest, variegated holiday accommodation with something for all tastes. Pick one of the many hotels, full-facility modern campsites, self-catering apartments or guesthouses.

Visitors arriving from the north go around the edge of the sparkling lagoon then cross the Belvedere swing bridge, built in 1936, to reach the island of Grado. Arriving from the east, you cross the pretty countryside surrounding Grado before reaching the Pineta, the island’s “green lung”.

Historical notes

The history of this ancient fishing village, set between the Grado lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, dates back to Roman Gradus of the 2nd century BC. In the 19th century it was a favourite watering-place of the Austro-Hungarian empire’s leisured classes and today its beaches, high-quality beach facilities and the healthy properties of its sand and air are still as famous.

The old town

Grado’s long history and time-honoured traditions live on in its labyrinth of narrow streets and little squares. The old town centre, once enclosed in the embrace of the castrum (5th c. AD), reveals many traces of the town’s ancient origins and authentic soul: architectural details, Latin inscriptions, pieces of statuary, pretty medieval houses, and unusual chimneypots which are a distinctive mark of their creative builders.

The port

Behind the old town is the port, an ideal link between the past and the present of a centuries-old fishing community. Built in the shape of an upside-down “Y”, it was one of the most important public works built by the Austrians, who came to Grado in 1815.

The beaches

Grado is the only Adriatic resort whose beaches all face south. It therefore enjoys a particularly favourable position.

The island’s several kilometres of sublimely beautiful beaches are a source of pride for the whole of the Region. For the past 19 years Grado has in fact been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for the quality of its beaches and its clean seawater. The beaches are sandy and slope very gently into the sea.

Fishing

The Gulf of Grado is rich in fish owing to the sea’s high salinity and its relative depth, which never exceeds 20m. The European anchovy is the main catch of Grado’s fishing fleet. The water colour is a distinguishing trait; the lagoon seems to be drawn by a greenish-blue line.

Sport

The golden isle offers a virtually limitless range of sports for children and adults: from any kind of water sport (canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, water skiing) to every kind of land sport (basketball to beach volley, bocce to soccer, golf to skating, cycling and tennis). You’re never bored on Grado.

Relaxation
wellbeing and entertainment

The Main Beach area also includes the Terme Marine (seawater spa centre), sand-bathing and sun-treatment facilities and the new Parco Termale Acquatico.

Nature

The environment is characterised by the lagoon, a timeless, terraqueous scape and Grado’s true soul.

A multitude of small or large islands covered in vegetation, fish farms, canals and labyrinthine channels form a unique landscape around Grado where nature reigns supreme.

The most characteristic structures are the casoni, under whose sloping roofs the local fisherman found shelter after a day at sea.

Food and wine

In the maze of narrow streets and alleys of the old town are numerous restaurants and trattorias serving delicious local dishes under shady arbours. The traditions of Grado cooking have been handed down through the generations and, not unsurprisingly, centre around fish dishes.

How to get to Grado

From the south or the west, you reach Grado via the Venice-Trieste motorway. Leave the motorway at the Palmanova exit, follow signs to Cervignano then Aquileia. Cross the Belvedere swing bridge to reach Grado.
From the east or the north, once past Trieste follow directions to Monfalcone where you take the SP19 main road which takes you to Grado (about 20km).
The nearest airport to Grado is Trieste-Ronchi dei Legionari, about 20km from Grado.|

The nearest railway stations are Monfalcone and Cervignano which are about 20km and 15km away from the Golden Isle.