← Trieste 42K·2 nights

Udine: Two Nights in Friuli

A direct train takes you to a Friulian city with a Venetian-style main square, a castle on a low hill and Tiepolo frescoes in the archbishop's palace.

Duration2 nights
TransitDirect regional train, about 1 hr 15 min from Trieste Centrale
DepartsTrieste Centrale

After the Trieste 42K: Two Nights in Udine

The Route: Trieste Centrale → Udine (2 nights) → Trieste Centrale → Trieste Airport (TRS) Logistics: Direct trains, roughly hourly. Udine's centre is compact and flat. Marathon Month: May Duration: 2 nights

Trieste Centrale ──(regional train ~1 hr 15)──> Udine
                                                   │
          Trieste Airport (TRS) <──(train)── Trieste Centrale <──(train)──┘

Udine is the city that Trieste runners tend to skip, which is a good reason to go. It sits on the Friulian plain about 70 km north-west, and the train from Trieste Centrale takes roughly an hour and a quarter, with a fastest time of just over an hour and services about once an hour from early morning to late evening. Fares are modest, from around EUR 5 to EUR 15 depending on the train (approximately GBP 4.30 to GBP 13). Check times and prices at trenitalia.com.

May in Udine. Early May on the plain is warm in the afternoon and cool in the morning, with the occasional spring storm. The Alps and Prealps stand along the northern horizon, and in clear air the snow on the peaks is still visible. Pack a light jacket. In most years a thunderstorm is possible by late afternoon, though conditions vary.

Nights One and Two: The Old Centre

The heart of Udine is Piazza della Libertà, a wide square with arcades and a Venetian-style loggia, the Loggia del Lionello, which has a clock tower beside it. The surface is level paving, and the streets around it are mostly pedestrian. That makes Udine easy for stiff legs. A slow loop of the centre takes about an hour.

Behind the square a ramp climbs to the castle on its low hill. It is a short, steady climb, and the civic museums inside have views over the roofs. Check opening days before going, because many Italian museums close on Mondays, which is the day you will arrive.

The Palazzo Patriarcale, the archbishop's palace, holds frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, painted in the 18th century. The diocesan museum that now occupies it has its own opening hours and ticket price, so check them at the museum's site and plan the visit for Tuesday if Monday is closed.

Where to stay: Hotel Astoria Udine is on Piazza XX Settembre, close to the old centre. Hotel Vittoria is also central, within a short walk of the main square. Check rates and the walk from each to the station.

Where to eat: Friuli has its own table. Look for frico, a crisp or soft cheese and potato dish, and the white wines of the region, such as Friulano. Many small osterie close one day a week, so check before you commit, and ask for a plate of the local cured ham. The evening custom in Udine is an aperitivo in the squares around Piazza Matteotti, where the tables spill into the street.

Getting Back

Take the train to Trieste Centrale, which runs roughly hourly, and check the last departure. For Trieste Airport (TRS), check the onward rail link and the timetable. If your flight is early, spend the final night in Trieste.