There is a place that a famous writer liked to call the “Florida of Italy,” a captivating place in which to admire the range of colours and enjoy the beauty of nature, even out of season. The author was Ernest Hemingway and he was referring to the coast of Lignano Sabbiadoro, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, where he stopped in the 1950s on a strip of land washed by three different types of water - the sea water of the Adriatic to the south; the brackish water of the Marano lagoon to the north, and the fresh water of the Tagliamento river to the west.
All the colours of dawn
To best discover the beauty of this landscape, start with the colours of dawn near the sea in Lignano Sabbiadoro. For early risers, the suggested route connects the sea to the lagoon, starting from the Faro Rosso red lighthouse, which has always been a landmark for sailors. It is here that the sun rises every morning, embracing and warming the panorama and the spirit with its first light.
Faro Rosso - Lighthouse
Cycle-pedestrian trails and a fitness area
The cycle-pedestrian route begins in the area of Villa Zuzzi (also known as Villino Zuzzi), a historic Art Nouveau building, skirting the golden sand and perhaps strolling along the shoreline with a few seagulls. For the more sports minded there is a fitness area with a view of the sea, and the benches on which to relax and enjoy the salty air are a good alternative for everyone. The route ends at Ufficio 19, where the promenade merges with the pine forest and the scents of nature.
Casoni Marano Lagunare - Ph Credits: Francesco Marongiu
The casoni fishermen’s houses on the water
From Lignano it only takes a few minutes by boat to take a plunge into the past by landing on the shores of Marano Lagunare, a land of fishermen. In the harbour you will notice the batele typical lagoon fishing boats, which are four metres long, have a flat bottom and are designed to navigate in shallow waters. But the real "stars" around here are the casoni: simple huts on stilts, made using local materials, such as marsh reed, that let the water run off while sheltering the interiors from the rain. In the casoni’s single room the fishermen would rest and warm themselves by the fire until dawn the next day. 
Ph Credits: PTFVG
A bird-watchers paradise
Adding life and colour to this precious ecosystem are swans, herons, birds of prey, flamingos and many other bird species, of which there are over 300 in the area. Many sightings are possible for birdwatchers or even the merely curious. From the purple heron, which breeds among the reeds of the Stella River delta, to the marsh harrier, which in this area boasts one of the highest concentrations in the whole of Italy, and various passerines, including the little basking warbler, the great reed warbler and the reed warbler. While in the surrounding lagoon inlets it is not uncommon to spot entire flocks of water birds congregating during the winter season, among them coots, gadwall, teal, shoveler, pochard, and ducks. 
Cape Lignano Sabbiadoro_©AP AL MARE
