Your Udine Travel Guide for a Great Day Trip

Arriving to Udine

Arriving here is super easy thanks to their train station. From the station, you can easily walk into the city center in about 20 minutes. There are also usually taxis waiting to get you closer but do know most of the center of Udine is pedestrian-only so you will need to be able to walk or get on without a car in order to see the most impressive bits.

From Trieste, you can get a fast train that takes just under 1 hour from station to station. You can also arrive from Venice Mestre station in about an hour and a half. The station is also connected to most small towns spread around Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Trainline is a great app to be able to browse trains and buy tickets directly on your phone.

And with a car, you of course can easily arrive. Just know that like in most cities in Italy, you'll need to have some luck and patience to get a good parking spot.

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Eating in Udine

If you've read any of the other articles on this site you know Raf and I are extremely food motivated.

It's, not surprisingly, one of our favorite things about living in Italy. It's a good perk of visiting Udine, especially when you consider the prices. Food and drink tend to be a couple euros cheaper than what we're used to in Trieste and Trieste tends to be cheaper than a lot of other cities in Italy.

Although located in the same region as Trieste, here you can enjoy a lot more traditional dishes that can be harder to find in the international capital. While of course you can get a fantastic pasta or risotto, I highly recommend you try at least one local dish that will be tough to find outside of the area.

A few of the best dishes to try in Udine are:

• Frico con polenta: Frico is a type of patty made with cheese and potato, pan fried in plenty of oil. Healthy? Not really. Hearty and delicious? Very. It's not always served with polenta but that's a common option and my personal favorite.
• Prosciutto di San Daniele: This is a kind of prosciutto produced in the nearby town, San Daniele del Friuli, hence the name. Most would agree that this is the best prosciutto in Italy, even if Parma's is more internationally known.
• Cjarsons all Carnica: Cjarsons are a type of ravioli from the region. I've eaten a variety of fillings but a common one in Udine involves raisins and ricotta for a little salty and sweet action.
• Orzotto: This is a type of pearl barley, similar to a combination of orzo and risotto. It's common to find this one with red chicory or radicchio.
• Musetto e brovada: This is a bit of a weird one as it's actually boiled pig snout that's later turned into a type of sausage. I'm daring when it comes to food but not often with meat so this is one I actually have tried...yet.
• Montasio cheese: This is one of my favorite cheeses from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This is often my go-to purchase at the grocery store but if you don't live in the region, this is a great chance to try this tasty mountain cheese.

A good thing about Udine is there is no shortage of restaurants. If you're in town at dinner time or a Saturday afternoon, especially on a sunny day, you'll see maybe too many options of places to eat. Although there are a few chains, for the most part, they're all locally owned restaurants, making the dining experience even better (and usually tastier).

If you have a big group of people and you're visiting on the weekend, you might need a reservation but for just 2 people, especially if you're flexible in exactly where you go, I wouldn't stress about it.

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Best Things to Do in Udine

Although I love just wandering around a new place and seeing what I stumble upon, if you're short on time and want to make sure you don't miss out on the best of Udine, here's what I suggest.

Take a Stroll Around the City Center

Udine really feels like stereotypical Italy, with the winding alleyways and old yet well maintained architecture. The city itself is a square, surrounded on all sides by a highway so really, you can walk around without fear of getting too far away so long as you don't cross any main streets.

Easy!

As a central starting point, I recommend getting to Piazza Giacomo Matteotti (also called Piazza San Giacomo). This is the main plaza in Udine and really is impressive. It's large, with gorgeous buildings on all sides. It's full of restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops. It's not uncommon for their to be events here as well. In the winter, the plaza is a little less full but when the weather heats up, tables and chairs take over.

From here, you can easily branch out and walk along the small pedestrian only alleyways.

If you head north in the city, away from the train station, you'll start to see more small canals, which is always picturesque to see. Towards the train station, you'll find more apartment buildings with large balconies and small gardens.

Enjoy the Views from the Castle

For a better view of the city and the surrounding Carnic Alps, you have to go up.

Start off at the Piazza della libertà and walk under the stone and rod iron entrance towards the Piazzale del Castello. You have two options: the stairs or the cobblestone path. I recommend the cobblestone path to go up and the stairs down - why not take both routes?

From the top, you'll have a beautiful restaurant and cafe, the Udine Castle, museums, some green space, and panoramic views. Even if you choose not to go inside the castle or museums, it's worth going up anyway. This area is sometimes used as an event space, with big names like Franz Ferdinand coming to play here.

If you're unable to make the short but steep walk, there's a public elevator you can take.

Visit a Museum or Two

In order to fully appreciate your day trip to Udine, I think it's valid to know a little bit of the history. That way you get a better understanding of the Venetian charm (especially if you're coming from Trieste as the architecture differs so much).

Like a lot of the area, Udine has passed around its "ownership" over the years. It was once part of the Roman empire, later conquered by the Venetians (which is obvious in the architecture), and then ceded to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Udine did become part of Italy earlier than a lot of the region and became part of the country in 1866, just a few years after unification.

There are a handful of museums in Udine but the most popular ones are definitely what you'll find at the Castello di Udine (Udine Castle). There you can get one entrance ticket for the three they have up there.

Eat All You Can

I won't dive into too many details as I've already outlined the best foods to try while in Udine but I just want to drive home the point: Udine is a really good city to eat in.

Yes, yes, I say that about pretty much anywhere in Italy but it's true here, too. Especially because in Udine you're able to try a lot of the region's delicacies that you can't find elsewhere and at a lower price.

Go Shopping

One of my personal favorite things about Udine is their high number of independent shops in the city center. In a lot of relatively small towns, it's more common to see the big chains like Zara and Sephora instead of locally owned boutiques.

Don't get me wrong, you'll still find those big names but you'll also have a number of shops you've never heard of to browse. This is for clothing, knick knacks, and a variety of other products.

That means even if the weather isn't great outside, you can still entertain yourself hopping from shop to shop.

Speaking of! Udine's city center is full of porticos, which reminds me a lot of Bologna. That means you can easily walk around without getting wet if the weather is pretty miserable. Just know the porticos don't extend throughout the entire city but are found more right in the center.

Spend Some Time Outside

Although I'll talk about a few other places to visit near Udine that are great to either get outside in the wine vineyards or to simply roam around, Udine itself has a number of parks and gardens worth seeing.

If you look on the map, all around the castle are green spaces. On a sunny day you'll see plenty of families, young couples, and dogs taking advantage of the grass and the sunshine.

There's a handful all within a few blocks of each other. I'd either walk through all of them or pick one to bring a book or a bite to eat and relax for a bit:

• Parco del Castello: This means the Castle's Park and is just on the backside of the castle. It's pretty steep so maybe not the best one to hang out in but a good way to get down from the top and head towards the other options.
• Zardin Grant: Although called a garden, this is actually the biggest park in Udine.
• Giardini Loris Fortuna: Cross the street from the big park and you'll find a nice extension here.
• Parco della Rimembranza: This is a long and skinny park, ideal for a walk with your dog if you've brought them along on your trip with you.
• Giardino Ricasoli: This one is my favorite to sit in the shade for a bit. It feels more private but it's a public space. It's usually really calm and quiet, if that's the vibe you're after.

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How to Extend Your Day Trip to a Weekend Trip

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are plenty of ways to make your day trip into a weekend one. The only reason we've never stayed the night is because we make frequent trips to the area and so have slowly been able to explore the region, without the need of squeezing it all into one weekend.

That said, if you're visiting and you're short on time, extending your stay is a really good idea if you ask me!

The easiest way to extend your trip is to simply get to know the city center even better. Once you see its beauty, you'll understand why I'm suggesting this. I don't think you'll mind having more time to enjoy the Piazza della libertà, Piazza San Giacomo, or the frescoes on nearly every building.

But, if you want to see more of the region, I recommend using the extra time to see the small towns surrounding Udine. Consider checking out:

• Cividale del Friuli: Founded by Julius Caesar in 50 BC, this town has a long history. Still beautiful today, it is pretty small and quiet. Start at the main piazza and wander from there. You can arrive by train, bus, or car from Udine in less than 30 minutes.
• San Daniele del Friuli: Did you enjoy that prosciutto I recommended? If so, you can go straight to the source. The small town is also really pretty and worth walking around but the main pull is eating lunch at the source. You can arrive by bus in about an hour or can in about 30 minutes.
• Gorizia: This town sits right on the border with Slovenia (you can even walk across it to the sister city, Nova Goriza) and is just a 20 minute train ride away. Gorizia and Nova Goriza are Europe's capital of culture in 2025. Gorizia is small, yet bigger than the other two on this list, and another good choice for wandering around, eating, and drinking. The real perk here is the city's wild history.
• Palmanova: Palmanova is shaped like a 9-pointed star - I kid you not. It's definitely one of the more unique places to visit and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The layout alone makes it worth a visit. You can arrive by train or by car in about 20 minutes.
• The wine hills: Like any good region in Italy, Udine is surrounded by lush wine country. The area is called Collio and while it's not well-known internationally, it's highly regarded domestically and produces great wines. If you have your own car, I'd suggest a day trip to a vineyard or two.

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Where to Stay in Udine

Did I convince you to turn your trip into a longer one? If so, you'll need a comfortable place to sleep.

If you have your own car or don't mind a long walk or taking the bus into the city center, it doesn't really matter where you stay but to be able to spend more time actually enjoying Udine, I highly recommend you stay in the city center, anywhere inside of the "square" that I explained earlier.

These are some places I suggest based on your budget:

• Budget Option: Udine Center Apartment: This one-bedroom apartment is simple yet affordable and placed nearby all the city parks.
• Mid-Tier Option: Oriana Homèl Udine: Situated right in the city center, overlooking the Piazza della libertà, you can choose from a variety of apartments based on how much space you need.
• Luxury Option: Mercatovecchio Luxury Apartments: Located on a small alleyway near Piazza San Giacomo, you can choose between two two-bedroom apartments, both elegantly designed and ideal for a weekend in comfort.

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How Will You Spend Your Time in Udine?

Whether you choose to spend a day, a weekend, or longer, I have a good feeling you'll fall in love with Udine. On a warm weekend, the city is teeming with people and the city really comes alive. On a rainy Sunday, you'll feel as though you have the place to yourself.

Either way, the architecture, food, and wine won't disappoint.

For an affordable and relatively unknown place to visit in Italy, you'll be hard pressed to find a better option than Udine.