Discover Trieste, the cosmopolitan pearl of the Adriatic Sea

Trieste, the harbour of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a charming town with long history ad many cultural influence

Art City - North Italy - Friuli V.G.

Itinerary: Trieste

Trieste, the charming cosmopolitan city is nestled between the mountains and the Adriatic Sea, where the ancient glories of the Habsburgs are perfectly mixed with the typical Italian "dolce vita" lifestyle. Beyond the Austro-Hungarian Empire, undoubtedly the most remarkable of all, you will find evidence also from the Roman and the Venetian Empires.

Trieste is the main city of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a region located north-west of Italy, and it lies just a few kilometers from Slovenia. Being on the border and having a long history, this city is a kind of crossroad of many traditions, religions, cultures and languages. People here speak Italian, Slovenian, Croatian, Greek and someone even Hungarian.

Besides the natural beauty of the Gulf of Trieste, this elegant city offers its visitors some remarkable buildings to visit and attractions including many museums, such as the Sartorio Museum and the Revoltella Museum. Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia (pic n°2)(pic n°4) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful squares of the city while the picturesque Canal Grande (pic n°1)(pic n°3) gives Trieste the appearance of a small Venice. Do not miss a visit to Piazza della Borsa (pic n°6) and to the unique Jewish Ghetto.

Trieste is also famous for it beautiful, retro charm cafes attended by poets and writers (as James Joyce, Stendhal in the past). Here, you can have a strong Italian coffee with a slice of delicious Austrian chocolate cake while listening to the piano playing a Johann Strauss waltz. It is very stylish ... isn't it?

We have to mention as well its shopping streets, its many antique shops, its beautiful palaces, its busy port which is the largest one in the Mediterranean sea for coffee trading (from here coffee is getting distributed not only in Italy but all over the world), and the delicious local food you should have to try.

Just outside Trieste, you can visit the impressive Grotta Gigante, the Duino Castle and the beautiful Miramare Castle (pic n°5).

Grotta Gigante (the Giant Grotto): its main huge cavity is the largest room in the world and as that, it has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1995. The guided tour runs along a path of about 850 meters taking about 1 hour and descend up to 100 meters of depth. A not-to-be-missed experience!

Miramare Castle (pic n°5), overlooking the Adriatic Sea, was built from 1856 to 1860 by architect Carl Junker at the request of Archduke Maximilian of Austria, husband of Princess Charlotte of Belgium, later Emperor of Mexico. The architectural style of the castle is quite eclectic and reflects the architectural tastes of the Archduke, who was inspired by English, Austrian and Italian styles of architecture.
More about The Miramare Castle

Trieste and the surrounding regions are also home to a kind of wind called "Bora". This cold wind from the north-east blows on the Adriatic Sea, a part of the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, but it is particularly strong over Trieste reaching even 180 kilometers per hour.

Some pics of Trieste:

Canal Grande (pic n°1) e (pic n°3); Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia (pic n°2) e (pic n°4); Miramare Castle (pic n°5); Piazza della Borsa (pic n°6);