Agriturismo in Friuli-Venezia Giulia with Spa

Farm stays in Friuli Venezia Giulia sit where Italy meets Slovenia and Austria, and the farming shows it. This is Italy's most respected white wine region, and the cooking borrows as much from central Europe as from the Mediterranean — expect goulash and strudel alongside prosciutto and polenta.

Where to base yourself

The Collio and Colli Orientali, hills along the Slovenian border near Cormons and Cividale, are the wine heart: Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and some of the best Sauvignon in Italy. San Daniele, in the northern plain, is the prosciutto town. The Carnic Alps to the north give mountain farms, hay meadows and skiing at Tarvisio and Sappada. On the coast, the Marano and Grado lagoons are flat, watery and good for birds, with Trieste and its Habsburg centre nearby.

What these farms offer

• Cellar visits at estates producing Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and orange wines
• San Daniele prosciutto, cured in the specific microclimate of the town's hill
• Montasio cheese, aged on the farm at several stages
• Frico, gnocchi and strudel — a cross-border kitchen you will not find elsewhere in Italy
• Ljubljana, Venice and the Austrian border all within about two hours

Timing and access

Late spring and early autumn are best, with harvest in September. Summer is warm on the plain and mild in the mountains; the lagoon coast is busy in August. Winter suits the Carnic ski areas, while the wine hills go quiet.

Trieste and Venice have airports, and Villach in Austria is an hour from the northern valleys. The A23 motorway links Udine to the Tarvisio pass, making this the easiest Italian region to reach by road from Austria and southern Germany. A car is needed in the hills.

In Friuli-Venezia-Giulia we have 76 farmhouses, including 24 with swimming pool, 42 with restaurant and 24 pet friendly.