Trieste Location guide

My Trieste:

'Trieste is the capital city of the province, located on a headland that overlooks the Adriatic Sea. This part of the coastline is crossed by the Bora wind that brings the scents of the Mediterranean and inspiration to literary figures such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba. In the past these literati frequented the elegant coffee houses of the historic centre where you can still enjoy a coffee and soak up the creative atmosphere.
The centre is typical of a central European city, where traces of a turbulent past remain evident to visitors who wander through the narrow winding streets. The city’s eclectic mix of architectural styles reflect the 1st century Roman domination through to the Byzantines and Habsburgs. Neoclassical palaces sit harmoniously with Roman ruins, Medieval fortresses and 18th century Habsburg residences. There is also the Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicolò dei Greci, the Serbian Othodox Church of St. Spiridio and the synagogue'.

Top Ten Things to See and Do

1. A visit to the Piazza Unità d’Italia
2. Climb the 265 steps of the Giant’s Staircase to San Giusto
3. Sip coffee in the historic literary cafes
4. Walk around the Miramare Castle Park
5. Descend to the Giant Caves
6. Taste an excellent Terrano beer
7. Take a trip on the Opina Funicular Tram
8. Enjoy a ridge hike along the Rilke Path
9. Visit the S. Sabba rice mill and the Foibe di Basovizza
10. Take a simple winter walk, or a summer swim, on a local beach

Local Events

October – The Barcolana Regatta
The Trieste Annual Regatta is one of the largest in Europe, held on the 2nd Sunday of October. More than 2000 boats line up along the waterfront at Miramare, from small private boats to the large hi-tech yachts that compete in world races. The Barcalana celebrations are not confined to boat racing and vistors will also find a full programme of entertainment including concerts and exhibitions.

May – Trieste la Bavisela Marathon
This annual athletics event is a panoramic 10km race where competitors follow the coastal round to the Miramare Castle. There are also many other side events like the Bavifestival, a culinary competition enjoyed by athletes and non-athletes alike.

Local Food and Drink

Austro-Hungarian tastes and Slavic Desserts
Local specialities reflect the central European traditions of the region with Austrian, Hungarian and Slavic influences evident in the use of spices and aromas. Austro-Hungarian specialities include: La Jota (a soup of beans, potatoes and sauerkraut), ‘Susini’ (gnocchi stuffed with dried plums), Bohemian hare (stuffed with sugar and white vinegar), and of course, Hungarian goulash. Side dishes to sample include ‘bruscandoli’ (wild asparagus) and ‘capuzzi’ (sauerkraut). Finish with a Slavic dessert like ‘presnitz’ (made with almond flakes) or Austrian Apple Strudel.

Local Wines
Terrano is a ruby red wine with a full-bodied slightly sour taste, whilst Vitovska is a delicately fragranced white wine with a hint of almond. Malvasian white wine Karst comes from Triste in nearby Istria, with its fruity smell and flavour that is perfect with anchovies. Try visiting a local osmizza to sample the local products.

Spotlight on the Miramare Castle

The castle was built in 1860 by Archduke Massimiliano of Habsburg as a symbol of love for his young bride, Carlotta of Belgio. The white Miramare Castle rises up from a headland that is surrounded by lush greenery and overlooks the Gulf of Trieste. Sadly the Archduke left for Mexico after just 4 years where he ruled as Emperor, but unfortunately was killed still dreaming of returning to his beloved castle and Carlotta. Since then it is believed that the castle is cursed as whoever has lived there comes to a sticky end. Today the fairytale castle is open to the public and visitors can see the magnificent throne room, the library, and the guest rooms. The park, noted for its interesting plants, follows the Archduke’s original design filled with plants from four continents. The footpaths of the park lead to a little castle and stable block and you can find numerous panoramic terraces and landscaped walkways covered with sculptures as you wander around. The place is easily reachable taking the 36 bus.

How to Get There

Situated in the north east of Italy, Trieste has the Adriatic on one side and Slovenia on the other and remains an important central European Hub.

By Air: The closest airport is Ronchi dei Legionari, 33km from Trieste, with a shuttle bus (line 51, an hour journey) that takes passengers from the airport to the main train station. Alternatively use Marco Polo Airport in Venice (120km away)

By car:
Autostrada A/4 - Venezia-Mestre (2 hours).
Autostrada A/23 - Tarvisio-Austria.
In both cases, exit at Casello del Lisert, and head towards Sistiana. In this way, you will take the Coastal Road (SS14) with panoramic views of the Trieste coastline and the white fairytale Miramare Castle.

By boat: Apart from numerous international services, seasonal connections go to the local beach resorts of Frado and Lignano.

By bus: From the main station there are numerous connections to Udine (1 hour) and also many regional services. During the summer there is a daily service to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, a journey of around 3 hours.

By train: With two trains every hour, Trieste Station in the Piazza della Libertà, is well connected to Venice (2.5 hours) from where you can continue to many other Italian destinations. There are also two trains a day to Budapest (11 hours) and three a day to Ljubljana (3 hours).