A boat adventure, a wonderful day in the Marano lagoon!

In this article we want to share with you one of the most beautiful experiences that we organize for our guests. I’m talking about a magical trip that allows you to appreciate our territory even more: a day in the casone, a typical fishermen cottage. This can only be reached via a suggestive boat ride inside of the Foci dello Stella Nature Reserve.

The casone, a unique and timeless place

The casone is the symbolic building of the lagoon and it looks like a rectangular hut with rounded corners and covered in marsh reed. In Marano this structure has been preserved as more faithfully to tradition as possible, and the whole territory boasts examples in the lagoons or on the banks. This ancestral architecture features a particularly simple design, rustic functionality and materials taken directly from the lagoon environment. It is built, in fact, with what nature is able to offer and therefore phragmite (graminaceous plant), locust wood, elm and acacia. Its origins date back to the Neolithic (so it is assumed), when these houses were used as homes for fishing families.

Specifically, the Casone of Marano was built on a rise of artificial mud called “mota” and has never undergone the "modernization" which, on the other hand, saw those from Grado as protagonists. Initially, the Casone of Marano was a refuge for hunters and fishermen who were normally used throughout the year, excluding the harsher winter months.The structure included a narrow internal space with a clay and beaten floor, a single opening (door) and a central hearth called "el fugher" surrounded by beds.

The Casone maranese was rediscovered towards the end of the 1960s and used as a workplace for operators in the world of tourism or as a location for the "good Marano retreat" on weekends. It represents a considerable commitment for its owner due to continuous and indispensable maintenance: from the care of the mud, to the one of the breakwater rocks, to the park to be cut all around, to the maintenance of the ancillary buildings. The docking pier also needs to be monitored, as do the canopies and the outer layer of reeds that are frequently replaced. There are people who compare the care of a casone to the one of a bonsai... Visiting this structure does not only mean celebrating an architectural tradition of the area, but also respecting nature. Just think, in fact, that the Marano hut has been included in the Foci dello Stella Regional Nature Reserve.

The day you can live in a casone

I'll start from the beginning: after a hearty and tasty breakfast at the Casale (if you've already been our guest you know what I'm talking about, if not... what are you waiting for?), you can leave by car for the port of Lignano. From there, once you leave the mainland, you immediately have a beautiful view of the skyline of Lignano Sabbiadoro with the lighthouse and port silhouetted against a blue sky...all the conditions for a memorable day!

For our boat tours, we rely on skippers with small boats, to let our guests live real experiences linked to the territory, rich in discovery, curiosity and tradition.

You can tour the Reserve by boat in approximately an hour and a half. And once you enter the casoni village, before lunch time, you dock at the small pier of the casone. The casoni that are still used today are real gems, with attention to detail and heated by an internal fire on cooler days such as those of early spring or autumn.

Lunch based on freshly caught fish

If during your holiday at the Casale you decide to live the entire experience in the lagoon, we will organize for you in the casone upon request (and based on the availability of the "casonaro") also a simple but tasty lunch based on fish caught in the lagoon. The catch is very fresh, and varies based on what you find. Do you want to know what you can enjoy as fresh fish? First of all, a truly delicious fried dish consisting of small lagoon fish will arrive at the table, followed by grilled canestrelli... Between one chat and another, a glass of good wine and the next are also grilled squid and some beautiful meaty fish caught the day before (usually sea bream and sea bass). Satisfied and happy, on top of it all, the super organized "chef" will put a nice mocha of coffee on the stove!

But the best part, is enjoying a breath of fresh air in the midst of nature, which is truly enchanting around there. This will allow you to work off the sumptuous lunch, while loving the nature around you.

If, however, you only have half a day available, the boat tour is an experience that we recommend you do in any case, and you will still have the opportunity to visit the casone and enjoy an aperitif overlooking the lagoon!

These magical places that seem very far away are located just a few kilometers away from the Agriturismo Casale ai Prati. We are waiting for you to experience this magical trip!