Road trip to the Italian Adriatic
Italy's No. 1 summer hotspot is celebrating several anniversaries this year and is making us want to take a nostalgic trip to the Italian Adriatic. Because away from the sun, beach and sea, a colossal transformation has also taken place here and makes you curious about the changes. So hop in the blue convertible and off to Bella Italia - from Grado to Lignano and then, as a highlight, a trip to Venice. Andiamo!
Benvenuto on the Isola d'Òro - Grado
As early as 1892, the "golden island" was declared an imperial and royal spa resort by Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and was subsequently a meeting place for crowned heads for a long time. Maria Callas also enjoyed the salty air and Rock Hudson the fine sea breeze and the guaranteed hours of sunshine. As a child, you could let off steam here on the miles of fine sandy beaches, in the evenings there was pizza and fantastic ice cream specialties and that will probably be remembered forever. Even today, Grado is still enchanting with its winding alleyways in the old town, the small harbors in the middle and the picturesque squares with typical Italian restaurants, bars and souvenir stores. This year, the 130th anniversary is being celebrated and everything is on offer - from guided walks through the town to the historic lidos and the beautifully preserved Art Nouveau villas of the spa. In addition, the exhibition "Un saluto da Grado" - Greetings from Grado - offers exciting insights into the Grado of yesteryear until the end of September. The historical postcards show the most beautiful motifs of the seaside resort from the various decades of the last century and are a great opportunity to send some. The golden island also has a lot to offer in terms of gastronomy, from the great show cooking with Austrian pastries in the "Grado 130" menu, which can be ordered in several restaurants, to pizza 130, cocktails, aperitifs and the festive bottle of Pinot Bianco Villa Russiz. For guests with an affinity for culture, there are various theater performances, literary encounters, aperitifs with art and a visit to the historic bathing tents on the main beach. The only thing missing is a suitable place to stay where you can park your car safely and reach the old town on foot if possible. The brand new design hotel "Laguna Faro Suites", which is located right next to the Laguna Palace Hotel on the harbor, offers all of this. With just 34 suites, the "adults only" hotel guarantees a dignified and undisturbed vacation. The warm tones, reminiscent of reeds, thatch and the sea, are particularly eye-catching and blend perfectly with the modern interior design by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola. The leafy terrace offers a fantastic view of the sea, especially in the evening. Unless, like us, you make use of the infinity pool on the spectacular roof terrace, which, together with the wellness area, sauna and Turkish bath, invites you to relax. Breakfast is served in the bistro and on the adjoining terrace, and those who wish can also take advantage of the wellness and culinary offerings of the neighboring sister hotel Laguna Palace Hotel and its private beach "Stabilimento Tivoli".
The 27 holes of the GC Grado are located between the lagoon and the sea and are well worth swapping the beach for a day's play on this interesting PAR 72 course. Founded in 1996 by the renowned Italian architect Marco Groce, the course is located in the extensive grounds of the Tenute Primera Resort. What makes it so special are the many water hazards in the form of lakes, biotopes or streams, most of which are hidden by a belt of reeds. Even the first hole, a par-3 with an island green, is reminiscent of the TPC Sawgrass golf course in Florida and so it goes on. If you have straight shots, you can easily play around various doglegs, bunkers and dangerous water hazards. Conclusion: an extremely interesting course that you share with geese, ducks, seagulls and all kinds of birds. Worth a look is the new golf fashion in the pro store and the rustic thatched clubhouse, where you can dine excellently.
Lignano through the ages
Yes, a lot has changed in this hotspot on the Adriatic and the vacation resort from our youth is barely recognizable. Not that this is only due to the many new hotels, the three districts of Sabbiadoro, Pineta and Riviera also have a lot to offer in addition to the 8-kilometre-long beach promenade. Here in Sabbiodoro we come across the most beautiful viewpoint "Terrazza a Mare", a bridge shaped like a shell that rises out of the water. From here you can see the entire beach area with almost 40 lidos, countless colorful umbrellas, sun loungers, stages for concerts, events and sporting events. While the lively pedestrian zone is lined with one store after another - from ice cream parlors and restaurants to wine bars. Incidentally, the "Agosti" restaurant in the middle of it all speaks perfect German and the food is simply delicious. If you want to stay right by the sea, the 4-star Hotel Vittoria is the perfect choice, as it combines a pastel, Mediterranean ambience in the lobby as well as in the rooms and suites with lots of art. Enjoy the best view from the roof with a sundowner at the rooftop bar. For an artistic excursion from Sabbiadoro to Pineta, we rented bicycles from the hotel and came across 7 beach offices on the promenade with variously designed mosaics from the Friuli Mosaic School. In the adjoining Parco del Mare, you can admire other works of art in stone and on panels. However, the attraction of this part of the city comes from its pompous villa district from the 70s and 80s, where VIPs from the film and art scene stayed in special circular architecture.
Time out on a houseboat
Of course, there is also the expected buzz around Lignano when it comes to bars, restaurants and nightlife. But if you prefer things a little quieter - even with a touch of romance - you can rent one of the houseboats that leisurely bob along the Tagliamento River. We ended up in the Lignano Riviera district, where, in addition to the Marina Uno marina, there are small villas with flowering gardens between the pine forest and the Tagliamento estuary. The "Marina Azzura Resort" offers a special kind of vacation here on 90 houseboats - whether moored in the river, in the harbor basin or in the countryside, but all in the style of traditional casoni fishermen's houses. Ours is pink, located directly on the river and can be reached via a narrow gangway. As in a former fisherman's house with a pointed gable, the 65 square meters are divided into two bedrooms, a living area including a sofa bed and a kitchenette on top with a sun terrace for a relaxed dolce vita feeling. You can also enjoy this in the Sky Cocktail Bar on the Emerald River Clubhouse, which serves delicious Mediterranean cuisine in its restaurant. Of course, you can also grill your own fish here or prepare it in your own kitchen. The heart of the 120-hectare resort is the extensive pool area with all kinds of entertainment for young and old and where tennis, basketball, football and volleyball can also be played. If you still need "sea", hop on a rental bike and cycle to the Lignano Riviera beach 20 minutes away, where there are reserved spots for guests. Instead, we hired an electric boat and took a leisurely trip up and down the Tagliamento.
Golf with dolce far niente
When we arrive at the Lignano golf course, it is lunchtime and we only have to follow the lively hubbub to find the clubhouse. It is old-fashioned and venerable, with a classy restaurant, which is of course full at this time of day. Getting there is an experience in itself and indicates a special playing experience. In addition to the impressive landscape of old trees, flowering plants and lakes with swans, this is also thanks to the architect Marco Groze, who is responsible for these 18 holes. Yes - there are also water hazards that you have to play over, as on holes 4, 7 and 12, but apart from the doglegs, which you can't see because of the many trees, the course is wide and fair and gives you a great score if you play strategically. The "Golf In" hotel with 24 rooms is located directly on the course and offers affordable packages - perfect for anyone who wants to use the golf academy for practice.
Ciao Venezia!
Why we made a detour to Venice was because of the "Feste del Redentore". It takes place every year on the 3rd Sunday in July and is one of the Venetians' most important religious festivals. The background is the liberation from the longest wave of plague to hit Venice in the 16th century. For the celebrations, a temporary 333-meter-long bridge, the Ponte Votivo, has been laid across the San Marco Bay since 1577 so that the procession can reach the Redentore Church "Chiesa dello Spirito Santo" on the island of Giudecca on dry feet. Throughout the day, you can see decorated houses and a colorful hustle and bustle of people - just like on New Year's Eve, a waiter tells us. The reason for this is the 60-minute fireworks display, which is set off almost exactly at 11 p.m. and is an unrivaled spectacle. Lucky are those who manage to get hold of a ticket, a parking space in the harbor or a boat mooring in the bay. In this case, we were really lucky, as our hotel was right opposite the church and we therefore had pole position at this mega event. The brand new Ca` di Dio Hotel, which belongs to the "Small Luxery Hotels of the World", is just right here in the somewhat quieter Castello district. As a design hotel, it is located adjacent to the Arsenale, which is part of the Biennale exhibition grounds as the "Contemporary Art District" and ideal for art-loving guests. You can visit the exhibitions and pop-ups by international artists at the 59th Biennale di Venezia until November 27. Anyone staying here will also have Venice's art, culture and cuisine under one roof: designed by star designer Patricia Urquiola with stylish furnishings, various sculptures, Murano glass art, beautiful light objects and the typical Venetian building materials of glass, wood, wrought iron and marble.
No matter where you are here - in the lobby with concierge Ivan to plan a sightseeing tour, in the library as a haven of peace with first-class reading, in the "Vero" and "Essentia" restaurants, in the "Alchemia" bar or in the leafy inner courtyard for a cozy cappuccino or extensive breakfast, the pleasant scent of the hotel is present everywhere. When you consider that this 5-star luxury hotel once served as a hospice for poor people, you appreciate the skillful interplay of Venetian history and contemporary design all the more. Naturally, this also applies to the 66 rooms and suites with roof terraces and gigantic views over the city. And the great thing is that you can reach St. Mark's Square, the Grand Canal, Doge's Square and the Rialto Bridge on foot in just a few minutes. What more could you want?
Further information:
grado.it/de/grado130/
www.golfgrado.it/de www.lagunafarosuites.com. www.lignanosabbiadoro.it/de/ www.hotel-vittoria.net/ www.golflignano.it/de www.marinazzurraresort.com
slh.com/hotels/ca%27-di-dio
venedig-magazin.com/category/festa-del-redentore/
