Lignano

Exactly halfway between Venice and Trieste , the peninsula of Lignano Sabbiadoro lies between the wide delta of the river Tagliamento, the warm waters of the Adriatic and the enchanting Marano Lagoon.

With over eight kilometres of fine sandy beaches lying between the sea and a dense pine forest , which still covers a large proportion of this, an area where the town has developed in harmony with nature, without marring its beauty.

Ernest Hemingway visited Lignano in the Spring of 1954 and called it “the Florida of Italy ”. The author loved the uncontaminated scenery of the facing lagoon that it inspired one of his greatest books: Across the River and Into the Trees.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, established in the early 1930's, boasts modern bathing facilities that are on a par with the international fame that the town enjoys: here you'll find all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday of fun, nature, sport and tranquillity.
The landscape of the areas connecting the curve of the Marano Lagoon is one of land and water, and this vital element – the water of the seas, river and lagoon – has, over time, defined the environment, way of life and commercial activities of the town of Lignano.

The Marano Lagoon, which bathes the western shores of the peninsula, creates a vista of exceptional beauty and a rare ecosystem, of great natural and environmental significance due to the variety its wildlife, which even counts several rare species, its luxuriant fenland vegetation and the uniqueness of the temporary fisherman's refuges – the picturesque huts built from marsh cane that are a reminder of the ancient traditions of the lagoon and a testimony of a way of life whose origins are lost in the depths of time.
Within its curve studded with islets and sandbanks, the lagoon encloses the vestiges of a timeless history, which are still visible in the beautiful Venetian settlement of Marano, a traditional fisherman's town since the beginnings of the Nineteenth Century that still nestles snugly within its fortified walls.
A number of partially navigable spring-fed rivers pour into the Marano Lagoon through a complex network of canals, extending as far as the plains of the Bassa Friulana, an area characterised by farmland that divides the landscape into geometric and, if truth be told, slightly monotonous patterns, a solemn simplicity and wide open spaces and horizons.

(Excerpt from the Municipality of Lignano Sabbiadoro's site)