The beach holiday in Lignano Pineta, not to early to plan it

The program of the Christmas events in Lignano Sabbiadoro had a great success, with thousands of visitors coming from nearby cities.

Not only the Sand Crib, but even the ice rink, the merry-go-round in San Giovanni Bosco park, the New Year’s Eve on the square in city centre and in Terrazza a Mare, the bonfire for the Epiphany on the beach and the many events linked with the different Christmas celebrations involved over 30.000 visitors.

In fact, very popular were concerts and gospel choirs of children and adults, but also the Christmas market organized by parents.

All different associations and also the municipality of Lignano Sabbiadoro are very happy with the results obtained during the entire period. Above all, they created such events to attract in the seaside town thousands of people, like a beginning of summer season.

Very important for the beach of Lignano is, in fact, extend the season over the 3 or 4 summer months through the offer of events and shows able to interest the people. In this case, Christmas has been very important and although it has not created a seasonal continuity, however it has proved a very appreciated moment by visitors. Now, from February, starts a series of crowd-pulling events, which are also intended to remind tourist of the beach of Lignano. With Ruotamania and Barcamania, the fish festival, the international dance trophy region Friuli Venezia Giulia, the walk of the sea and Lignano in Fiore starts the summer season 2012.

These events, besides give life to the city even in the cold months, create a continuous appeal of the city in the mind of the visitors, with more chance to book a beach holiday in Lignano.

Even the program of Christmas events executed this function, trying to have faithful visitors. Through the different events, visitors know better the city and see the beach and the hotels in Lignano as destination of its summer holidays.
With the success of the program of this winter, surely many people have foretasted the long-awaited holiday in Lignano.

Christmas is just gone, but the Hotel Croce di Malta continues to wish you Happy Holidays, because we are waiting for the New Year’s Eve.

2011 is going to leave us and we look forward the arrival of 2012, with its New Year’s resolutions and promises. Sure the hotel in Lignano Pineta hopes to welcome again its loyal guests, but even many new tourists, which will choose the beach of Lignano to spend their beach holiday.

After all, the summer is not so far away! After the Christmas holidays we begin to work to offer guests a beautiful hotel rich in services and with some novelties. Even the city of Lignano works to give guest a more welcoming place, with the renewal of the streets, the extension of cycle paths and new entertaining activities along the entire beach.

But, while we wait for the hot summer, in Lignano you can have fun even in this period and breathe a very special atmosphere. Christmas on the beach offers also the chance to ice skating few steps from the beach, to see the beautiful sand crib, to drink a mulled wine and to walk on the sand. Christmas trees and cribs have as background the sea and the beach and the cold air blends together with the salty tang of the sea. An afternoon in Lignano offers all this and much more.

Not to mention the New Year’s Eve: party on Piazza Fontana with music and concerts until late at night, fireworks after Midnight and, for those who want a very chic New Year’s party, the dinner in Terrazza a Mare. An excellent menu will amaze all guests, but the location will offer the magic touch to the evening. A wonderful elegant dining room on the sea.

After the midnight toast, Terrazza a Mare is open to all for a night of dancing and music until dawn of the new year.

Those who want to live a special New Year’s Eve, Lignano offers all this.

Happy holidays from the hotel Croce di Malta.

In Lignano you breathe already the Christmas air.

Christmas lights are almost all in place, at the entrance of the city stands the Christmas tree with light blue lights, as well as in Piazza Fontana and along the streets there are the decorations with coloured lights. Even the open cafés, restaurants and shops offer nice decorations at the windows and Christmas tree, but it is in the city centre of Lignano Sabbiadoro that feverish preparations are under way.

The area in front of Terrazza a Mare is a small building site in the open air: workers and volunteers from different associations, in fact, are at work to offer everyone the Sand Crib and, novelty of this year, the ice rink. On the square, from Thursday 8th December you can ice skating on a wonderful ice rink, a short walk from the loved sand of Lignano. The opening of the ice rink is the 8th of December, day of the Immaculate Conception, perfect moment to present to all children this amusing novelty for their Christmas holidays. The rink is open 8th, 10th and 11th December and then from 17th December to 8th January every day, as the Sand Crib.

The latter is open from Saturday 17th December every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and it will present a beautiful Nativity under a large stand, 20×20 meter, directly on the sand of the beach of Lignano.

Also this year children can have fun with the workshops suggested by the different associations, where they can learn to make pastries, to weave wicker baskets and many other things. Experts of the different fields, but also mothers, fathers and grandparents will help the children in the workshops. All this to keep alive the family spirit of the Christmas.

Even parents will be busy this winter in Lignano with the Christmas market held at Terrazza a Mare.

And not forget the appointments with concerts and with the arrival of Santa Claus on the evening of December 24th, which will distribute gifts to all children of the city.

With so many events, it is obviously that Lignano Sabbiadoro is in ferment to prepare all the necessary so that everyone, residents and visitors, has the chance to enjoy this wonderful period of the year.

Christmas trees, lights, ice rink and sand crib, the kiosk with mulled wine and hot chocolate to get warm, Christmas markets, workshops and much more for the “Natale d’A…mare” 2011 in Lignano Sabbiadoro.

Do not miss the opportunity for a visit in Lignano during this month!

Sunday October 30th end the 3° Ruotamania in Lignano Sabbiadoro. The first weekend of this event about the wheel, from cars to bicycles, passing through coaches, had a good success, thanks also to the new interesting location, the Marina Punta Faro in Lignano Sabbiadoro.

Very large spaces able to accommodate all models brought by various dealers and collectors, possibility to see demonstrations and to take part in the events like the song contest “Artisti da Bar” and the beauty contest Miss Car Italy with the many tuning cars. In addition, this year has been possible also to set up a static exhibition in a covered pavilion with models of the collector Fabbro Vinicio, coaches, vintage cars and motorcycles and sports cars racing. For the whole time of the show, it will be possible to visit this pavilion and see all these vehicles.

During this last weekend there will be also a very special exhibition of typical American cars, that made dreaming many persons. American cars are completely different from European cars, have a special design and can be recognized at first sight. It will be an unmissable opportunity to admire in Lignano these vehicles so far from our reality and so fascinating.

The program of Ruotamania for this last weekend is very rich. In addition to these exhibitions, there will the semi-finals and finals of song contest, of Miss Car Italy and the chance, Sunday 30th October, to make a tour in Lignano Sabbiadoro by coach or vintage car. This event is free, but whoever wishes, may leave a donation for the association “Da un’onda un sorriso” (Wave for a smile), which deals with children and families in need in the area.

Saturday 29th there will be a very interesting meeting for all “tuning” lovers and, considered that there will be many of these cars in the beauty contest Miss Car Italy, there will be many people to attend the communication about the rules of tuning in Italy.

The first weekend of exhibition, Ruotamania had a good stream of visitors, both experts and onlookers, who took advantage of good weather for a ride in Lignano and a visit to the exhibition. For this last weekend of October, rich in events, organizers expect an even greater stream, thanks also to the good weather. After a couple of rainy days, it seems that the sun shines again on the beach of Lignano and on Ruotamania even for the weekend.

Thanks to events like these, Lignano can attract a good number of people even beyond the end of the summer season. A tour by carriage or vintage car, or just a walk, offer the chance to see a different city from the one known, with very characteristic areas, romantic atmospheres and small typical restaurants and cafés. This is also Lignano.

The summer 2011 is officially over and the different tour operators of the beaches like Lignano Sabbiadoro start to draw conclusions of their hard work.

Despite this year the economic crisis was stronger than last year, the beach of Lignano has not experienced the dreaded drop: the seaside resort in Friuli region has withstood very good, increasing also the number of arrival and room night.

Especially the hotels in Lignano Pineta and Sabbiadoro affirm to have had a growth as for the summer 2010, although for all, the kind of work and tourist has changed. For years, the average length of the holiday of people is less than a week and this year many tourists have spent 3-4 days of holiday, however, returning several times. Shorter holidays, but made several times.

The hotels in Lignano have seen the same guests several times; this means that people, despite the lower disposable income, want to spend the beach holiday. By now, it is a need that is difficult to give: the holiday at the sea is an important moment during the year because it is symbol of leisure, rest and removal from everyday stress. Guests that come several times in the same hotel, show the appreciation about the hotel for its qualities (near the beach, services for children, nice team, modern facility with adequate services) e do not want additional stress for the search of a new accommodation facility.

The positive performance of the summer 2011 in Lignano is also strengthened by the first data coming from the region Friulia Venezia Giulia.
According to data collect, from January to August, the region had a general increase of arrival and room nights and Lignano has increased the room night by 1,6%. Obviously these data are still incomplete, because there are not yet the number of September, a month that has been a nice surprise thanks the good weather conditions. During this month, the beach of Lignano still saw many tourist sunbathing and swimming. Thanks to the good weather, the summer season in Lignano Sabbiadoro has lengthened considerably in Lignano Sabbiadoro and even today there are some tourist walking in the city centre.

We must also consider the European Masters Games, that took place in Lignano from 10th to 20th September.
These Games brought in the seaside resort about 4000 athletes with friends, families, trainers and public. With this sporting event, the beach of Lignano and in general the entire region Friuli has been presented to thousands of sports fans and potential tourists from all over Europe.

Still on the subject of promotion, ended last Sunday the third Buy Friuli Venezia Giulia, an event to promote the entire region to tour operators from all over the world.
From 21st to 25th September, 130 tour operators and 20 journalists visited Friuli discovering the territory and meeting the regional tour operators. An important event to present all beauties and regional specialities to those who still do not know them and bring, in this way, new tourists.

Clearly among the promoted destinations could not be missing the beach of Lignano Sabbiadoro, a nice business card for those who live the sea and the sandy beach.

Beach and sea in Lignano, even at end August

Even if Ferragosto with its parties, events and fireworks passed and the month of August is almost over, summer has not yet left the beach of Lignano.

On the contrary, it is giving its best with very hot and sunny days, ideal to lie down under a beach umbrella and to refresh itself in the sea.

The grip of hot, that for more than a week tightens all Italy, is for Lignano Sabbiadoro a chance not to be missed. After a very slowly start of the summer because of the weather, now there are the high temperatures. Thanks to this weather, the beach on the upper Adriatic Sea has not suddenly emptied as often happens, instead it has a high number of guests, which take advantage of this hot weather for their last days of holiday.

Hotels in Lignano, like Croce di Malta, still record sold out and hope that this weather goes on, perhaps until mid-September. Those who stay in Lignano in this period find many events and activities, besides of course all active services in the city.

Among the event scheduled this week, we remind the last but one meeting with “Incontri con l’autore e con il vino” (Meeting with writer and wine) with the writer Tullio Avoledo in PalaPineta inside the Sea Park from 6.30 p.m. Thursday, 25th; the appointment with the open-air theatre Pupi & Pini for children with the show “Arie” in Piazzetta del Sole always in Lignano Pineta, music meetings with the show “Lignano per…la musica” (Lignano for music) in Sala Darsena and with the band of Lignano in Parco San Giovanni Bosco in Sabbiadoro, art exhibitions in different points of the seaside resort, sailing trophies in the seas of Lignano and the 3rd World Championships Beach Ultimate, a spectacular competition of Frisbee in teams.

A lot of events in the entire city, reachable by foot, bike or with the city buses during all day until late evening.

A very rich week, blessed with an exceptional hot sun of late August and that enables all guests of hotels in Lignano to take advantage of cheaper rates, but with the presence of all services as during the period of Ferragosto.

At Croce di Malta, 3 star hotel in Lignano Pineta, guests find an helpful, kind and ready to satisfy every request staff, a kitchen full of delicious dishes, very good equipped game areas for the fun of children, the private beach, the pool with whirlpool area in the garden-solarium and much more. In short, the services of the hotel continue to proceed at full speed and to be available for all guests until the end of summer.

All this to offer guests the opportunity to spend a holiday in Lignano Sabbiadoro really exceptional, in a beautiful period with a hot sun and many events in the city.

After the success of last year, it is back this summer the event-tasting “Flavours of Riviera 2011” at the Kursaal congress centre in Lignano Riviera.

This event has started the 29th of June and includes 15 gastronomic evenings with guided tastings of products of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The tastings are every Wednesday, with the addition of Friday in the hottest periods of the summer, in a hall of Kursaal, convention centre and disco at the beginning of the area of Lignano Riviera. Direct on the beach, surrounded by pine wood, tourists can taste every Wednesday from 8 pm a different menu, with the specialities of typical places of Friuli.

This week, for example, there will as protagonists be the specialities of Carso: dishes and wines typical of that particular area near Trieste, where it is grown and is still produced according to tradition, with attention to quality and not to quantity.

Then comes the turn of spices and salts of the world served with wines of Bressan (area of Collio), of very good ham of Cormons with its excellent wines, of the oils and wines of Trieste, of Cividale with the red pied cow and red wines, of the home-made beer of Zago made in the area of Pordenone, of coffee and pastries from Palmanova, of the renowned San Daniele ham served with prosecco and, for the last evening, of the fish from Marano lagoon.

Every evening is a dive in a town of Friuli, which is characterized by certain gastronomical products, all of high quality. Chefs and sommeliers guide guests to tasting, explaining the type of product processing and the best way to savour it.

These evening are open to every tourist on holiday in Lignano, the price per person is 17,00 € and it is better to reserve by phone, because reserved places are up to 45 per tasting. In this way it is possible to offer a high quality each time.

It may be interesting for tourists take part in one of these evenings and try typical savours of a special area of Friuli, some of them, maybe, already sampled in the hotels in Lignano. Often, in fact, hotels in Lignano Sabbiadoro offer their guests typical dishes, especially fish dishes, and wines of the surroundings, in addition to the international menu. In this way, who want, can taste some local and regional dishes during the stay in hotel.

Flavours of Riviera 2011 suggests entire evenings with typical products in a wonderful setting: direct on the beach and surrounded by the pine wood, in a quiet romantic place, but a short walk from the city centre of Lignano Pineta. Until August 31st it is possible to take part in this event, where the best cuisine of Friuli overlooks the beach of Lignano.

Lignano Pineta is the favourite resort for those tourists, that want to spend a holiday in the nature, surrounded by pine wood, but near the beach and the sparkling city centre. The energy of the summer on the beach of Lignano Pineta and in the clubs and restaurants along the commercial street called “train” (treno), led in this area of the city to become a new point of reference also for the younger. Here it is possible find the fun on the golden sand during the day and in fashion clubs and discotheques from evening until late at night.

Besides families, which spend relaxing holiday with all amusements for children, hotels in Lignano Pineta welcome now also the younger, attracted also by animation on the beach and by many events in cafés and clubs.

From 1st of June, in fact, it has started the animation on the beach during the day at Fun Village, which is located between beach office no. 3, English flag, and beach office no. 4, Italian flag.

Fun Village is the novelty of the summer 2011 on the beach of Lignano Pineta. Seven animators of Animavera team, from 1st of June to 10th of September, will entertain adults and children on the beach in this fun village, every day from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 16.00 to 18.30 with lessons of muscle toning, water gym, dance, baby dance and mini-club for children.

And in the evening the animation moves in the beautiful Sea Park (Parco del Mare) at PalaPineta. Sea Park is the feather in the cap of Lignano Pineta: a green park that reaches the beach, where it is possible both take a rest on the shadow of the pines that do sport at different levels with the life course. Neat flower beds, winding paths, water fountains and benches allow guests to reach the beach from the hotels in Lignano Pineta with a short and relaxing walk. Just inside of this little paradise there is PalaPineta, the building that hosts the evening animation for all guests of Lignano. From 21.30 baby dance for children and then cabaret shows, musicals, ballet, group dances and special evening in which also guests can take the stage together with the animators.

The entire animation activity, both on the beach and in PalaPineta, is open to all guests on holiday in Lignano and it is completely free.

In addition, Lignano Pineta offers its guests different events, where they can take an active part alongside artists: it is the case of Mosaic’s Symposium, that for the first year takes place in Marcello D’Olivo square, near the beach. This event continues the path drawn by the ten editions of the International Symposium of Sculpture, that took place in Sea Park, and also in this new adventure guests can watch artists and enter with them some tessera in the mosaics.

The Symposium will end Sunday 12th of June with a ceremony with authorities and tourists: mosaics, protected under tents, will be discovered and they will be explained by the artists. Who want to take a look or follow step by step the final preparations of the works, can do it in Marcello D’Olivo square.

This is only an example of the events in which guests of Lignano Pineta and its hotels can take part. In fact, also this year there are the loved “Meetings with wine and author” (Incontri con il vino e l’autore) in Tenda Bar, the many sports tournaments in Marcello D’Olivo square, evening shows in Sole square and very much more, for a summer full of fun in the nature of Lignano Pineta.

In Lignano Pineta it's time for Ruotamania, show of wheel from origins to present

The emotion rises to the opening of the second Ruotamania, the incredible show of the wheel from its origins to the present, that will take place September 14th to 16th and October 1st to 3rd. After the very good début of the last year in Lignano Sabbiadoro, on the pedestrian area, with a large success of public and exhibitors, comes back this very special event in Lignano Pineta this time. The commercial street of Pineta, called “Treno” (train), Marcello D’Olivo Square and the entire seafront are a perfect fairground  for Ruotamania, an area that already hosted Barcamania, show organized and promoted always by Ente Fiere Lignano (Fair Lignano).

The decision to propose a fair during the last weekend of September and the first of October is part of the project of Ente Fiere Lignano to lengthen the season in the seaside resort, attracting visitors that can spend some relaxing days in the accommodation facilities. This initiative allows campings, agencies and hotels in Lignano to stay open longer, beyond the official closing of the summer season in mid September. In addition, on the occasion of Ruotamania, will be offered package tours, where local operators play an important role. Visitors can so join the show of two, three and four wheels with promotions about stays and tours.

The official presentation of the second Ruotamania will be September 20th in Udine, and on that occasion, besides the program rich in events and exhibitors, will be presented also the feather in the cap of the fair: a project to promote electric vehicles in regional tourist resorts. The four-wheel all-electric vehicle will be presented by Piaggio in a special stand, approaching a project of ecological mobility, a correct way to move in the tourist resorts without pollution by exhaust emissions of thousand cars. In this connection it must be said that most of hotels in Lignano offer free bicycles to customers, excellent means to reach all corners of Lignano. But sometimes it prefers the car and the electric cars could be a good compromise between mobility and environmental protection. And indeed Ruotamania starts Friday, September 24th at 10.30 with a conference on electric vehicles at Palapineta, in Parco del Mare (Sea Park) in Lignano Pineta.

The program plans stands of two, three and four-wheels jewels both modern thanks to the presence of car showrooms, and vintage thanks to the several clubs. Spectacular shows of Bike Trial and competitions will liven up the two weekends with the chance to test motorcycles as Harley Davidson and to see parades of vintage cars. Wheels must be driven with care and security, and for this reason Ruotamania is the perfect location for road education courses by the Italian Motorcycle Federation, particularly for young people.

In addition Ruotamania give part of the proceeds to charity through the association “Da un’onda un sorriso” (From wave a smile) and this year, on Sunday 26th September and Saturday 3rd October, there will be a charity lottery.

Ruotamania awaits you on 24th, 25th, 26th September and 1°, 2nd and 3rd October in Lignano Pineta to offer all guests a lot of fun and the chance to join this event with beautiful days in the hotels of the seaside resort.

In Lignano Pineta the fantastic "Incendio del Mare"

Also this year Lignano Pineta is preparing for the event of August 16th with fireworks. After the pyrotechnics of Ferragosto in Lignano Sabbiadoro, has become tradition that the next night is the time of the beach of Lignano Pineta with its spectacular “Incendio del Mare” (Sea fire).

A name chosen not a random: besides the beautiful fireworks in the sky, every year special fireworks are shot from the boat Aussa, moored 300 m from the beach, and from pier of Pagoda in Lignano Pineta. Fireworks bouncing on the water and light waterfalls that colour the sea with the colours of the fire, to simulating the burning sea. From this feature, organizers have decided to call their fireworks “Incendio del Mare” (Sea fire).

Every year in August 16th the beach of Lignano Pineta welcomes thousands people that wait with trepidation for the beginning of the show. Last summer was registered the record: 50.000 people, both tourists accommodate in hotels of Lignano and commuters come expressly for the show, followed the event on the beach, on the overhead walkway of Pineta and on the terraces of the beach-bars. Great charme and appeal have exercised “the souls of fires”, white and red lights that fell down slowly on the sea thanks to very small parachutes, novelty of 2009.

Who knows what novelties and spectacular choreographies of colours and shapes reserves the 16th year of “Incendio del Mare”. There is a lot of curiosity and certainly also this year there will be new special lights and colours, to repeat the huge success of the last summer.

The beginning of the fireworks is at 11.30 p.m., a time chosen to allow to have dinner quietly both in restaurants and in the hotels of Lignano and then to go to the beach. The fame attained in the years by this event is so great that now it is one of the greatest and most acclaimed fireworks of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is demonstrated also by the many spectators that come the same evening in Lignano from neighbouring towns, in addition to all tourists that spend their holiday during these days in the hotels of Lignano Pineta. Most part of them goes on foot or by bicycle to the beach, without moving the car in a busy evening and taking the opportunity for a stroll in the centre of Pineta.

At 11.30 p.m. people overflow into the beach and the terraces of the bars, trying to bag a good place to watch the show. But the party for the Incendio del Mare starts already at 9 p.m. with the concert “Aspettando i fuochi” (Waiting for the fireworks), on the square of Piazza D’Olivo. Also this year has been confirmed the team Pellizzari-Giulia-Ballaben, known band that will accompany with its music all tourists until the beginning of fireworks.

And surely there will be a lot of applauses, the best way to thank the organizers of the “Incendio del Mare” and all businesses that contribute to the excellent success of the evening: associations, dealers and hotels of Lignano Pineta. Thanks to their economic and organizational effort, allow the physically creation of the evening.

See you at August 16th from 9.00 p.m. in Lignano Pineta for the 16th “Incendio del Mare”.