by Guisela Chiarella
The summer season officially kicked off in Friuli Venezia Giulia on June 1, as beach establishments across the region opened their doors to eager sunseekers. With Italy’s Republic Day falling on Sunday this year, Monday, June 2, became a de facto long weekend — and locals wasted no time diving into the season.
In Trieste, where the Adriatic coastline is a treasured escape for residents and visitors alike, seaside establishments buzzed with life as families, friends, and solo swimmers welcomed the return of beach days. One of the city’s beloved stabilimenti balneari — those signature Italian seaside venues that blend tradition with sun umbrellas — drew a relaxed, joyful crowd for what felt like the first true weekend of summer.
Children leapt into the sea with abandon. Elderly couples settled into their usual lounge chairs. Ice cream vendors resumed their seasonal routines. The scent of sunscreen mixed with the sea breeze as a sense of summer normalcy returned.
“There’s something special about the first swim of the year,” said one lifelong Triestino, toweling off under the early June sun. “You feel like you’ve survived winter — and earned this.”
From Lignano to Grado and down to Trieste’s rocky shores, the region’s coastline is gearing up for a busy summer, with visitors from Austria, Slovenia, and beyond expected to flock to the beaches in the coming weeks. For locals, though, there’s nothing quite like the ritual of diving in on the season’s very first weekend.
“We always come the first weekend in June,” said a mother of two, watching her children paddle in the shallow waves. “It’s our way of saying: summer has begun.”
