54. Trieste, Italy. A very unique city on the Italian Riveria. Visit Trieste's fairytale castle and stunning architecture.
This week we are in the Italian Riveria city of Trieste.
You are in for a real treat in this Episode. We are still in northern Italy, but this episode we are taking you to a city that isn’t as popular as some of the others -and I can’t understand why, and you won’t either after listening to this episode.
Trieste is a gorgeous city on the Italian Riveria and it offers so much to visitors.
This week we will tell you all about the unique history which is linked to Austria. We take you up to the highest point of the city and then walk back down to the main plaza which is one of the biggest and impressive in Europe.
We wander along the marina and find a very nice rooftop bar.
Then we take you to Trieste’s jewel of the crown and national treasure the Miramare Castle. Listen as we were totally gobsmacked at the interior and then even more so with the gardens. It was absolutely amazing.
Listen to the end as we take you walking along the waterfront and find some cafes and bars on the Italian Riveria and also in this episode we share a lovely review we received from a listener who tells us how we helped him plan his holiday. Oh, and I have a bit of a rant about a cancelled tour – which left me very disappointed.
Trust me – this episode will have you wishing you were on the Italian Riveria in Trieste – and will definitely have you adding it to your bucket list.
Show notes and pictures below
Trieste is a 2 hour train ride from the main station in Venice. It is a lovely scenic ride - especially the last 20 minutes along the coast. Trieste is in the northern most part of the high Adriatic near the border with Slovenia. It is a deep water port and a maritime gateway for northern Italy, Germany, Austria and central Europe. Trieste is probably the most cosmopolitan and multicultural city in Italy.
We would recommend doing the Hop on bus tour around the city to get the lay of the land. You can then go back and visit the places that interest you the most. We decided to go to the Castle and Cathedral of San Giusto at the highest point of the city. Such incredible views. You can go inside the cathedral, the bell tower and also the Winkelmann Museum and gardens. It is an easy walk down the hill back into the city. On the way you will pass the Santa Maria Maggiore (last picture above). You can go inside and the day we were there we were the only people inside the basilica.
Back in the city you can walk to the main square which is called Piazza Unita D’Italia. There always seems to be something happening in the square. The days we visited there was a vintage car rally and we also saw an huge marching band. It is a massive square bordered on three sides by stunning buildings and on the fourth by the Adriatic Sea.
Across the road from the Plaza is the wharf and marina area of Trieste. You can walk along the waterfront and enjoy the views and check out all the yachts. Another great thing to do at the marina area is find a roof top bar like this one called Pier and have a nice spritz. You can check them out here.
Trieste is not only beautiful in the day with its fabulous Austrian inspired architecture, it is also stunning at night. The old city are is very safe and easy to walk around. There are many restaurants with outdoor eating areas to choose from.
Another lovely place to walk along is the shoreline - Viale Miramare Pineta Di Barcola. This is a favourite area for the locals to stroll and enjoy coffee or spritzes in one of the many cafe/bars along the waterfront. We enjoyed a long walk passing by many beautiful spots of the Italian Riveria.
At the end of the walk along the shore line you will reach Trieste’s stunning Miramare Castle. We loved it so much we visited twice. The Castle was home to Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife Charlotte Princess of Belgium. You are able to walk all around the inside of the castle - and it is definite must do. The inside is spectacularly beautiful.
As a bonus, Maximilian was a botanist and recorded many of his discoveries of when he travelled around the world in detailed paintings. Many of these painting are on show around the palace. You can get an audio guide to give you all the relevant and fascinating history about each room.
Once you have finished inside the castle - you can then wandered around the outside and see the pergolas and walkways as well as the area where the boats would pull in. It looks like a fairytale castle from every angle.
The Castle Gardens are free to enter and you can wander around the many acres for hours. There is a more formal area as well as a nice little cafe in the middle of the garden. You can also see the many greenhouses and the original castle that they lived in before the main one was built. There are many vantage points to check out the views and take photos.
Of course, Trieste is also known for its amazing food and wine scene. We enjoyed every meal and even the wine by the jug.
Trieste is a city that we would return to and we are so glad we took the time to visit. The podcast has much more detailed information on all the places we visited and where we ate. Lyle keeps track of the costs and we fill you in on those as well. You can listen to the podcast at the links above or see all our Italian podcasts, show notes and pictures by clicking the button below.