How To Spend A Day in Trieste

Trieste, an easy daytrip from Venice, is rich in Slovak-Italian history, culture and fine architecture. The city was founded by the Romans on the Gulf of Trieste, rose to prominence as one of the most important parts of the Hapsburg Monarchy in the 19^th century and is the current capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

The city is excitedly less crowded than Venice (a mere 70 miles away), leaving you the freedom to move around easily and take in its blended culture. Start your day by visiting the breathtaking Castello Miramare, built in 1860 for the Archduke Maximilan, the younger brother of the Hapsburg emperor, in a sumptuous, decadent style. The castle juts out over green-blue water and is surrounded by lush gardens once the talk of northern Italy.

Piazza Unita, Trieste, Italy © Giuseppe Anello | Dreamstime

Next stroll through the city center and underneath what remains of the original Roman gate, the Arch of Riccardo. Trieste’s Castle of San Guisto is open to the public and while in stark contrast to Miramare, provides an interesting look at local history as the 16^th-century castle was built upon earlier ruins.

One of the most beautiful parts of Trieste is the Piazza Unita d’Italia, where locals gather for coffee and to look out over the glittering Adriatic Sea, positioned as if it is the stage in a grand opera. Trieste’s town hall is in the square as well as other important buildings including stunning belle-époque cafes once frequented by the literary elite like James Joyce (who wrote most of the Dubliners and all of Portrait of A Young Man while living in Trieste) and Italy’s Italo Svevo.

After a stroll through the town square with the sea breeze at your face, grab an outdoor seat at one of the cafes (perhaps the historic Caffe San Marco) and enjoy a coffee while staring out at the Adriatic.