An island of sand, shells and greenery, located in the Upper Adriatic, between Venice and Trieste, connected to Friuli by a thin road that crosses its suggestive lagoon.
Once an important Roman port for trade with the East, Grado (from the Latin "gradus", quay) is perhaps the oldest tourist location in the Mediterranean. In fact, its inscription in the official list of health resorts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire dates back to 1892 with the title of "Marina Thermal Baths".
Here life is simple: pleasant walks along the seafront and in the old city, interesting visits to the Roman and early Christian basilicas, suggestive itineraries in the lagoon, today a protected natural oasis, full of mysteries and legends or a lunch /dinner in one of the delicious restaurants to taste the typical flavors of the Adriatic.
The island is lapped by marine currents on one side and the splendid lagoon on the other. Thanks to the lagoon, Grado enjoys a mild, warm and temperate climate, never muggy, able to offer a comfortable stay for most of the year.
It's easy to fall in love with Grado, the "golden island" full of the colors and traditions of the sea.
Many writers let themselves be inspired by Grado: Ippolito Nievo, Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, Pierpaolo Pasolini and Biagio Marin, the great poet from Grado.
Nevertheless it remained the seat and residence of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.
The middle Ages
The Council of Mantua (827 AD) decreed the end of the Patriarchate of Aquileia with its temporary headquarters in Grado. A Provveditore Count was installed in his place. From that moment on, Grado became a peaceful seaside village, dedicated to a simple life marked by the rhythms of fishing.
The Modern Era
In 1815 Grado became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the fall of the Empire, Grado becomes definitively Italian.
The Grado lagoon, which extends as far as Venice, is quilted by an archipelago of about a hundred suggestive islets covered with thick vegetation.
An intricate and fascinating landscape.
With its more than 12,000 hectares of extension, it constitutes a natural and protected oasis. Therefore a truly ideal stopover for several dozen species of aquatic birds, which nest or stay here during the migration period: ducks and seagulls, garganeys and teals, coots and mallards, as well as the magnificent and regal herons.
Now imagine yourself immersed in untouched nature.
Caressed by a delicate breeze with the scent of sun and sea.
Perhaps while you are enjoying the fragrant dishes of fresh fish, guests of a characteristic "casone" - the ancient huts of the fishermen of Grado, with the typical roofs of straw and reeds on a small island surrounded by greenery.
This is how the "Grado Lagoon Natural Park" presents itself to those who visit it. A true oasis.
The historic center of Grado is full of suggestive "calli", picturesque squares, delightful internal gardens.
And here typical restaurants and trattorias offer the non plus ultra of traditional Grado cuisine.
The absolute king of this gastronomy is fish. The basis of a cuisine made of authentic and sincere flavours.
Absolutely to be tasted, in addition to the delicious fish dishes, is the "boreto" (brodetto). A characteristic and exquisite soup which, depending on availability and preference, can be prepared with just one type, or more, of fish.