Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova day trip from Udine or Trieste
A day trip to Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova from Udine or Trieste: Cividale's Piazza Paolo Diacono, the Lombard Tempietto Longobardo, the Archaeological Museum, the cathedral and Christian Museum, the Devil's Bridge over the Natisone and the Celtic Hypogeum, then the star-shaped fortress town of Palmanova, its Piazza Grande, Porta Udine and the bastions. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova in 1 day
Day 1
Historic centre of Cividale (Piazza Paolo Diacono)
The town's main square, named for the Lombard historian born here, with old houses and cafes in the medieval centre.
Tempietto Longobardo
Eighth-century Lombard chapel above the river, with rare stucco figures of female saints, part of a UNESCO site.
National Archaeological Museum of Cividale
Museum in a palace by Palladio's design on the cathedral square, with treasures from the Lombard tombs found in and around Cividale.
Cividale Cathedral and Christian Museum
Renaissance cathedral with a museum beside it holding the carved Altar of Ratchis and the Baptistery of Callixtus, Lombard masterpieces.
Devil's Bridge (Cividale del Friuli)
Stone bridge high over the green Natisone gorge, named after a legend that the devil helped build it.
Celtic Hypogeum
Small underground chambers cut in the rock under the town, with carved masks, of uncertain age and purpose.
Piazza Grande (Palmanova)
The vast six-sided square at the centre of the star fortress, where the straight streets of the town all meet.
Porta Udine and the bastions (Palmanova)
One of the three monumental gates of the Venetian fortress, with the moat and grassy bastions of the star-shaped walls.
Getting there
Cividale is about 20 minutes from Udine by the regional train, and Palmanova about half an hour from Udine by car or bus. From Trieste, both are about an hour by car. A car makes the day easy, as there is no direct train between the two towns.
Staying in Udine or Trieste? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, mild and good for walking in both towns. Summer is warm and quiet, and winter can be cold and grey. Palmanova was built by Venice in 1593 and its walls are a UNESCO World Heritage site, best seen on a clear day.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
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Tips for Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova
- The Archaeological Museum is closed on Mondays and the Christian Museum on some weekdays: avoid Mondays and check opening times, which change with the season.
- The Celtic Hypogeum keeps short opening hours; ask at the tourist office in Cividale before you go.
- The Udine to Cividale train is the easy way to Cividale, but a car is needed to add Palmanova on the same day.
- Try gubana, Cividale's spiral cake of nuts and raisins, and the white wines of the nearby Colli Orientali hills.
- In Palmanova, walk a stretch of the bastions or the moat to see the star shape of the walls.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Historic centre of Cividale (Piazza Paolo Diacono): Ewgohl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- National Archaeological Museum of Cividale: sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Piazza Grande (Palmanova): IlirikIlirik, CC0
- Porta Udine and the bastions (Palmanova): Đuro Jiří, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tempietto Longobardo: Welleschik, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
