Like every year, Lonely Planet experts list the best destinations picking among countries, regions, and cities. No surprise that Italy is present with Rome as number 10 city, and Friuli Venezia Giulia as the number four region.
The decision behind the choice of Rome has been affected from the fact that the Eternal City never goes out of fashion. Pilgrims will be hotfooting it to Italy because Pope Francis decreed it an official Year of Mercy, but there are earthly reasons to go too: they’ve restored the mighty Colosseum; the Trevi Fountain has also had a clean-up; and to whet the appetite further, Rome stars in two blockbusters, the remake of Ben Hur, and Spectre, the latest outing for Bond’s movie.
As for the Friuli’s region, it has garnered a cult following. The region’s picturesque wine routes, which crisscross a checkerboard of vineyards between Udine, Gorizia and Trieste, embrace everything from simple farmhouse tables where the latest vintage comes only by the jug to elegant fine-dining rooms and vertical tastings among the vines. In Friuli, talking terroir is a time-honoured way of life.
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