A place with Istrian-Venetian features

In the last strip of Italy the coast seems to fold in on itself: here opens the Bay of Muggia, a characteristic location with Istrian-Venetian features. Landing in the picturesque dock, it almost seems like entering into the streets and squares. The Venetian atmosphere is not only breathed thanks to the architecture: even the dialect, the customs and the gastronomic traditions reveal an intense past shared with the Serenissima. Looking at Muggia from the sea, the white Istrian stones and the colored houses create a harmonious whole with the verdant karst environment. Framing it, seven kilometers of coast and a crown of hills that panoramically dominate a vast area, both Italian and Istrian.

The main center of the enchanting hilly area called Collio, a few steps from Gorizia, is Cormòns, a beautiful town of Habsburg style; it is surrounded by small and characteristic villages on the border with Slovenia, such as Dolegna del Collio, San Floriano del Collio, Savogna d'Isonzo, where the community language is Slovenian. Here, the distance from the mountains and the sea is short: the microclimate, absolutely unique for ventilation and temperature range, marries perfectly with the "ponka", the characteristic soil of the Collio, ideal for growing vines. Central European influences translate into special desserts such as broad beans, presnitz and putizza. But there are other delicacies to delight the palate: plum gnocchi, sweet Cormòns ham, smoked over a fire of cherry wood and laurel or, a specialty for a few, the red radicchio "Rosa di Gorizia".