This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our small business.
Udine packs its sights into a walkable historic centre of under 2 square kilometres, so you can cover the main attractions in a single day. The city was ruled by Venice from 1420 to 1797, and that shows in the Venetian Gothic arcades of Piazza Libertà , while the 18th-century painter Giambattista Tiepolo left some of his finest frescoes in the Palazzo Patriarcale. Below is a practical list of things to do in Udine, with opening hours and ticket prices, then read our where to stay in Udine guide for where to base yourself.
Things to Do in Udine: Historic Centre
Piazza Libertà and Loggia del Lionello
Start at Piazza Libertà , called the most beautiful Venetian square on the mainland. The Loggia del Lionello, built between 1448 and 1456, is the centrepiece, a white and pink stone town hall in Venetian Gothic style that still hosts civic events. The loggia itself is free and always open, though the upstairs municipal offices are normally closed to visitors. Across the square stand the Loggia di San Giovanni and the Torre dell’Orologio, a 16th-century clock tower topped by two bronze Moors who strike the bell on the hour. Budget 30 minutes to wander the square and climb the nearby ramp toward the castle. See our Udine travel guide for more detail.
Castello di Udine
The castle sits on a low hill at the top of Piazza Libertà , reached by a short ramp. Its ticket covers four museums in one: the Museo Archeologico, the Museo del Risorgimento, the Museo Friulano della Fotografia and the Galleria d’Arte Antica, which holds works by Caravaggio, Tiepolo and Carpaccio. It is open every day 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Mondays. Entry costs €8 full price, €4 for ages 18 to 29 and over 65, and is free for under 18s. From the hilltop you get a clear view over the red rooftops toward the Julian Alps on a dry day. See our month-by-month weather guide for more detail.
Things to Do in Udine: Churches and Museums
Museo Diocesano e Gallerie del Tiepolo
This is the single most important stop in Udine. Housed in the Palazzo Patriarcale, it holds more than 700 works, but the real draw is the frescoed rooms on the piano nobile painted by Giambattista Tiepolo between 1726 and 1729, including the monumental staircase ceiling showing the Fall of the Rebel Angels. It is open every day 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesdays. Tickets are €8 full and €6 reduced, and the visit takes about 90 minutes. A combined ticket covering the Castello, Casa Cavazzini, the Museo Etnografico and this museum costs €15. See our best time to visit guide for more detail.
Duomo di Udine
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata stands beside the castle on the site of an older church, rebuilt in the 13th and 18th centuries with a striking octagonal bell tower by Cristoforo da Milano. Entry to the cathedral is free and it opens daily 7:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 18:45. The attached Museo del Duomo, open 10:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 12:00 and 17:00 to 19:00 at weekends, closed Tuesdays, asks only for a free-will donation and displays liturgical silverware and vestments. See our neighborhoods guide for more detail.
Casa Cavazzini
The city’s modern and contemporary art museum fills the restored 16th-century Casa Cavazzini on Via Cavour. The permanent collection includes works by the Friulian painters Afro and Mirko Basaldella along with Italian and European 20th-century artists, and it runs temporary exhibitions. Entry is €5 full and €2.50 reduced, and it is included in the €15 combined museum ticket. Opening hours run Wednesday to Monday 10:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesdays. See our travel tips guide for more detail.
Things to Do in Udine: Food, Wine and Football
Via Mercatovecchio and the Osterie
Walk Via Mercatovecchio, the main shopping street, then duck into the side lanes for the city’s osterie, traditional wine bars that pour Friulano, Refosco and Prosecco by the glass with small plates. Look for frico, the local fried disc of Montasio cheese and potato, and prosciutto di San Daniele, cured 25 km away in San Daniele del Friuli. A glass of house Friulano costs about €3 to €4 and a plate of frico €8 to €12. Most osterie open from around 10:00 and close between 15:00 and 17:00 before reopening for the evening.
Stadio Friuli and Udinese Calcio
Udinese is one of Italy’s oldest Serie A clubs, and the Stadio Friuli, rebuilt in 2016, holds about 25,000 fans at its home matches from August to May. The stadium sits at Piazzale Repubblica Argentina, about 3 km northeast of the centre, reachable by bus or a 40-minute walk. Match tickets for ordinary league games run from €20 to €60 depending on the opponent, and you can buy them online or at the stadium box office. The city gets noticeably busier on home match weekends, so plan hotel bookings around the fixture list.
For a fuller plan, read the Udine events and festivals calendar to time your trip around the main events, and the neighbourhood and hotel guide to decide where to stay.
