Destinations Europe

Grado – an Italian seaside resort in style

August 7, 2015
what to see in Grado Italy

An online travel guide says Grado isn’t much known outside Italy and Austria but among them it’s very popular for several reasons. Being Austria’s closest seaside resort (in Italy) and well connected by public transport, it’s the easiest way for a relaxing getaway by the beach. I remember Grado’s beach from my childhood days but not much else, however me and my friend are huge Italy fans, so this was our second trip together after Venice last year!

As Grado was under Austrian K&K regency (until WW I) and part of the so-called “Austrian riviera” you clearly can feel the influence until today, but also Romans and Venetians have left their traces in early history, which are most visible in the beautiful Venetian-style Old Town. Unlike many other Italian cities, the resort is very clean, neat and organised. Maybe too organised if you consider Grado’s main beach, which is one of the typical Italian sundbed-umbrella-in file beaches: Not my favourite, but for a day or two not bad at all – the sand is soft, the water’s shallow and clean (the beach is labeled with the Blue Flag) and there are cabins, toilets and showers.

Beside the beach, it’s the compactness which we appreciated: It offers pretty much everything you’d expect from an Italian city: Open promenades, piazzas, narrow alleys, a harbour and a canal – everything in convenient walking distance. From the little canal you can catch a boat to explore the nearby lagoon and other islands, very similar to Venice. And of course, there’s the food! Needless to say that the selection of Italian delicacies are endless and tasty! We definitely pampered ourselves in plenty of gelaterias, pizzerias and trattorias 🙂

Old Town

The lagoon and Barbana

The beach and promenade

Dining

Directions:

Grado is a five-hour drive away from Vienna or Munich and therefore one of the easiest beach destinations to get to from Austria and Southern Germany. By public transportation it takes a little longer, but it’s easy enough: The closest railway station with international connections is Udine. From there, regular buses make the one-hour trip to Grado. You can either check the Austrian State Railway or the Italian Railway to check connections and buy tickets.


See also my other articles about Italy:

La dolce vita triestina

Castles by the sea – Trieste and Duino

The melancholia of Venice – between beauty and decay

Travel now and then – Memories of Interrail 2005

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11 Comments

  • Reply The Tastemonials August 7, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    Die Ecke sieht ja wirklich traumhaft aus und gar nicht so proppenvoll wie ich das jetzt von Italien erwartet hätte. Und dann diese Bilder vom leckren Essen und das Eis!! Ich hab Hunger 😉 Liebe Grüsse, Heike

    • Reply sileas August 9, 2015 at 8:59 am

      Für Hochsaison fand ich es auch überraschend angenehm! Und wenn ich jetzt an das Essen denke, krieg ich auch schon wieder Hunger 😉

  • Reply Paleica August 10, 2015 at 7:49 am

    hach! italien <3

    • Reply sileas August 10, 2015 at 8:30 pm

      Alt aber gut 😉

  • Reply 8thdaybeauty August 12, 2015 at 7:58 am

    Lovely pictures 🙂 Looks like a great time.

    • Reply sileas August 12, 2015 at 11:04 am

      Thank you! Yeah it was just so relaxed 🙂

  • Reply ChloéMarriault August 19, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    I wish I could go there! Your pics are amazing!

    • Reply sileas August 20, 2015 at 2:08 pm

      Thank you so much 🙂

  • Reply 2015 – A travel year in review | sweet/escapes January 3, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    […] Italian lifestyle mixed with Austrian charm can be found at the classy seaside resort of Grado. […]

  • Reply 12 magische Mottos – same, same but different – sweet/escapes June 28, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    […] Grado – an Italian seaside resort in style […]

  • Reply La dolce vita triestina - sweet/escapes August 2, 2016 at 8:41 am

    […] Once a year (at least) a trip to Italy means balm for the soul: This country has a certain magic whether it has to do with the food, the incredibly rich culture or simply their la dolce vita way of life. About Trieste I have a lot of childhood memories (thanks to some relatives who live there) – however I didn’t come back for many many years. Therefore I was excited to see the city with my grown-up eyes together with my beloved friend with whom I already explored Venice and Grado. […]

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