by InTrieste
The Adriatic resort town of Grado inaugurated its newly renovated marine thermal baths on Monday, marking the completion of a major public investment aimed at strengthening the area’s year-round tourism and wellness offerings.
The project, backed by more than €16 million in regional funding, has transformed the city’s historic thermal complex—first built in 1974—into a modern wellness and medical spa facility. Regional officials described the redevelopment as part of a broader strategy to combine health services, tourism and long-term economic planning in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the president of the region, Massimiliano Fedriga, said the investment reflected a deliberate effort to modernize high-quality infrastructure while preserving and enhancing local assets. The renovated Terme Marine di Grado, he said, demonstrate how wellness tourism can be integrated into a sustainable development model designed to support the area’s competitiveness in the decades ahead.
The refurbishment included a complete overhaul of the existing structure, the installation of new-generation systems and equipment, and the expansion of services. Work began in 2022 and proceeded in phases, allowing parts of the complex to reopen while construction continued. The first floor became operational during the initial stage, followed by the completion of the second floor under a second construction phase launched at the end of 2024.
Regional officials have already earmarked funding for a third phase, which is expected to add a new wing adjacent to the current building. That expansion will focus on strengthening medical and therapeutic services and introducing additional offerings related to personal care and rehabilitation.
The reopening ceremony brought together regional and local leaders, including Sergio Emidio Bini, the regional councillor for productive activities and tourism; Giuseppe Corbatto, the mayor of Grado; and Roberto Marin, president of Grado Impianti Turistici, the company that manages key tourism infrastructure in the town.
Mr. Bini said the project required both financial commitment and long-term planning, noting that the region had chosen to invest heavily in a complex redevelopment rather than incremental upgrades. He credited PromoTurismoFVG, the regional tourism agency, with directly overseeing the construction process and completing the works within a compressed timeline.
According to Mr. Bini, projects of this scale and quality are intended to reposition Friuli Venezia Giulia’s tourism sector, which has traditionally been seasonal and coastal, toward a more diversified, year-round model. He pointed to recent visitor data as evidence of growing momentum, noting that the region surpassed 10 million tourist arrivals by October 2025.
Beyond the spa complex itself, regional authorities see the project as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Grado’s beachfront hinterland, an area considered strategically important for the town’s future development. Mr. Fedriga said that continued cooperation with the municipality and private operators would be essential to ensure that surrounding public spaces and services evolve in parallel with the new thermal facility.
The renovated Terme Marine now include a wellness and spa area featuring a range of thermal and water-based circuits, a dedicated beauty and aesthetics zone, relaxation spaces and a high-tech fitness center. Specialized treatment rooms offer services such as cryotherapy and salt therapy, while a medical-thermal area has been designed to accommodate families and children as well as patients seeking therapeutic care.
Local officials describe the complex as an attempt to balance leisure and clinical functions, positioning Grado not only as a seaside destination but also as a center for what they term “scientific and sustainable wellness.” The aim is to attract visitors beyond the traditional summer season and to reinforce the town’s identity as a place oriented toward quality of life, health and slow tourism.
For Grado, long known for its beaches and historic center, the reopening of the Terme Marine represents both a symbolic and practical milestone: a reinvestment in a landmark public asset and a test case for how smaller European resort towns are rethinking tourism in response to changing demographics, health awareness and climate pressures.
As construction crews prepare for the next phase of expansion, regional leaders have framed the project as an opening chapter rather than a conclusion—one that reflects a broader debate playing out across Italy about how public investment, tourism and social infrastructure can intersect in a more resilient economic model.
