A seaside city with mountains in the background, which combines food, history, and architecture of Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Balkan influences: Trieste is the perfect destination for a city break.
When we spent 2 days there at the end of August, we managed to plan some of the best things to do in Trieste in just one day. We share below our efficient itinerary, a few hidden gems, as well as advice on what to eat and drink.
Are you looking for more efficient city guides? Here they are!
Some information about Trieste
The capital of the Italian region Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Trieste has approx. 200000 inhabitants. Thanks to its favourable position, protected between the Gulf of Trieste and the Alps, the first settlements date back to the 2nd century BC.
It became a key city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, especially at the end of the 1800s, as it allowed access to the Adriatic Sea and to the Mediterranean Sea – which is why Viennese architecture still dominates the streets. All these features turned Trieste into a fantastic melting pot for cultures to meet, which in turn attracted commerce and fostered the development of cultural institutions and universities.
Even though I was well aware of where Trieste is (map here), it wasn’t until the second evening that I realized that the sun was setting in the sea. Wait a moment: doesn’t the sun set in the sea only on the Western coast of, well, everywhere? We’re in Eastern Italy, so how is that possible?? Well, Trieste is basically in Slovenia, almost in Croatia, so it’s not really Eastern Italy as much as the Western coast of the Balkan countries… So the sunset in Trieste is actually an amazing Adriatic Sea sunset. How cool is that? 🙂
As you plan your visit to Trieste, keep in mind that a large part of the city centre is on hills. The lower area along the sea promenade, Piazza Unitá d’Italia, and the Theresian District are flat; as you proceed inland, the hills start climbing quite quickly and quite steeply. You will need comfortable shoes, and your itinerary should include some stops to rest.
Day 1: Trieste old town and Miramare Castle
In one day in Trieste, it is very easy to discover the old town and Miramare Castle.
The efficient itinerary below will bring you to the old town in the morning: from Piazza Unitá d’Italia, up to the San Giusto Hill, down to the Theresian Quarter, through the Jewish Quarter, and back to Piazza Unitá d’Italia.
Continue to the the outskirts of Trieste and Miramare Castle in the afternoon.
During the evening, explore the lively nightlife and enjoy the beautiful sea promenade in the city centre.
Trieste old town walking tour
Start the day like a true Italian: take breakfast at a café! There’s nothing better than a cappuccino with a croissant (also known as “cornetto” or “brioche”) to begin your day the right way.
We recommend passing by the info point in the main square Piazza Unitá and following the walking tour with a recorded audio guide (5 EUR for 1 person, 8 EUR for a couple), which takes you around the centre and through the history of the city. UPDATE 2020: These new itineraries by TriesteMetro look great, and you can follow them with the dedicated app!
It can probably be completed in just a couple of hours by very efficient travellers, but we took our time (and a lunch break), so we spent approximately 5 hours. It was really well done: a captivating blend of information and story-telling.
Piazza Unitá d’Italia
The best place to start visiting Trieste is the magnificent Piazza Unitá d’Italia (map here), the largest seafront square in Italy (and possibly in all of Europe!)
It was commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in order to strike a memorable first impression of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s main port.
The buildings are so stunning that it’s hard to focus on only one. At the centre, the Trieste Town Hall dominates; around it, there are other government buildings, in the same grand style reminiscent of Vienna.
The Palazzo del Governo (looking at the Town Hall, to the left, map here), with its delicate golden and colourful mosaic decorations reflecting the sun, is definitely one of the most beautiful buildings we have ever seen.
San Giusto Hill
Walking up the hill of San Giusto is a bit tough, but it’s wonderful to dive into the atmosphere of the city straight away. In this area, you will discover the Roman and Medieval history of Trieste.
We love how visible the layers of history are: part of the Roman Arch of Riccardo is actually inside a house!
The Church of San Giusto, or Trieste Cathedral (1320, map here) is itself the union of two older churches under the same roof, with stunning Byzantine mosaics inside. Try and find on its facade two cannonballs fired at it during the Napoleonic wars!
The view of Trieste from the bell tower was gorgeous and worth the effort, as it encompasses the sea, the city, the hills and San Giusto Castle, just next to the Church.
On the way back down the hill, between the winding streets, there is a whole Roman Theatre (actually Amphitheater – map here), well renovated and very evocative. It’s located quite inside the city from the sea promenade, but back then it was the welcoming sight for sailors: it’s magical to stand there now, almost 2000 years later!
Overall, this section took us a couple of hours.
Trieste lower town: Theresian Quarter and Jewish Quarter
After a delicious lunch at Eppinger, we continued along the regular streets of the Theresian district, a beautiful fusion of Neo-classic, Neo-renaissance and Eclectic architecture. This area was developed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the 1800s: it reminds of Vienna, Budapest and Prague.
Saint Anthony square (map here) is the symbol of the variety of people, languages, and religions that populated this city over the centuries. You will find historical coffee houses, the Neoclassical Saint Anthony Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Spyridon, the statue of James Joyce on the Red bridge, and the Canal Grande built by wish of Austrian Empress Theresa.
Piazza della Borsa and Piazza Verdi boast more beautiful buildings, such as the Opera House “Teatro Verdi” and the Stock Exchange.
This way, you will reach the narrow alleys of the Jewish neighbourhood (Via Beccherie). Unfortunately, we did not have time to explore in detail this area; we continued to Piazza Unitá and to the rest of our itinerary.
This second section took us approximately 1 hour.
Miramare Castle
Miramare castle is definitely one of the best places to visit in Trieste.
Located 10 km North of the city, it is easy to reach by bus from Trieste Central Station in 30 minutes. We actually got off at Bivio Miramare stop, and walked some 15 minutes along the seaside walk.
A magnificent example of eclectic architecture designed by Carl Junker, Miramare Castle was built from 1856 to 1860, for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian.
Reaching it from the side of the sea, through the southern main gate (in the direction of Trieste) and the park, it looks like a big white cube sitting on the edge of the rocky promontory. As we got closer, we noticed the delicate decorations on the external walls, the modest but still imperial entrance, and the distinctive feeling of the money and care that was put in the building and in the park.
We were quite tired, so we spent only some 30 minutes visiting the apartments (8 EUR/person entrance fee), but they are so magnificent it could be easy to spend a couple of hours in there. The luxurious fabric on the walls, the intricate details in the wood carving of the cupboards and wardrobes, the historical paintings on the walls and the surprising frescoes on the ceiling are absolutely captivating.
Everything tells the story of the Archduke and his passion for botany, his wish to turn this barren promontory into a botanical garden with species from around the world. He planned the palace, the interiors and the garden himself, but he was able to enjoy his creation for such a short time: soon, he was crowned Emperor of Mexico, and was killed there only 3 years later.
If the weather is warm, it is really enjoyable to stroll around the park. Make your way down to the quay by the sea, and then through the woods to the Grignano marina (look how beautiful it looks in the late afternoon!). We waited with an Aperol Spritz for the ferry to Trieste (timetable here for Trieste-Grignano), a 40 minutes trip. It was perfectly timed with the sunset, portraying the coast and the castle in a magical golden light, so gorgeous I even shot a video!
Trieste by night
What to do in Trieste in the evening? Take a walk along the beautiful sea promenade.
Start from Molo Audace (map here), a stone pier built in 1751 in front of Piazza Unitá, to admire the view of the old town. It is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset!
As you proceed South (towards Slovenia), you will have impressive, Viennese-style buildings on your left, the glittering sea on your right, and sailboats parked in small club marinas.
Find some suggestions about restaurants and bars at the end of the post.
Day 2 in Trieste: Barcola and half-day trip to Gorizia
There is so much to see in 2 days in Trieste.
As we visited in August, we headed to Barcola beach (map here) to get our fill of sunshine. The lack of sand is irrelevant: you just sunbathe on your towel on the hard pavement and climb down the rocks and stairs to have a swim in the cool sea.
Later, a nice train ride between the hills and the sea brought us in 40 minutes to the city of Gorizia, whose special feature is that it is located on the border between Italy and Slovenia: Gorizia is on the Italian side, and Nova Gorica is on the Slovenian one.
We enjoyed a terrific lunch at Trattoria Da Gianni, famous for its tasty local menu of Italian and Balkan dishes, but most of all for the epic size of their portions. Everything is served on a pizza plate: pasta, meat, side dishes, everything! We ordered a beef tagliata (thick slices) and Balkan cevapcici sausages. The tagliata was one of the most mind-blowing meals ever, so juicy and tender… Absolutely memorable, and cheap! The waitress brought us take-away boxes without even asking 🙂
I was inspired by Mhoek on Instagram to go to the border between Slovenia and Italy by the train station of Nova Gorica (map here). The local bus dropped us at the end of Via Caprin, in Italy; 50 meters away from there, on the other side of the square, is the train station of a Slovenian city. There is no barrier in between. Stone flower pots mark the border, with Italian cars parked on one side, Slovenian on the other; in the centre, a metal plaque, where a fence used to be.
My mother actually remembers the fence, 30 years ago; now, it feels magical to be there, to jump freely from one country to the other. It is impossible not to think of the thousands of people who are not so lucky and embark on months-long ventures to cross these borders and reach Europe.
Besides Gorizia, the nearby town of Aquileia makes for a wonderful day trip from Trieste. I remember visiting as a child: the gorgeous mosaics on the floor of Roman-era buildings are still impressed in my memories. It’s just magical to realize that they are centuries old! Check out here what to see in the archaeological area of Aquileia.
Where to eat in Trieste
Located near Piazza Unitá d’Italia is one of the best pizzerias of Trieste, Dnapoli Maestri Pizzaioli. The pizza was simply amazing, anything else passing by us also looked delicious, and we spent only 25 euros for the two of us.
Via Torino (map here) is a long sequence of fancy bars and restaurants, closed to traffic, where a huge crowd enjoys the warm temperatures and the cool drinks outside, chatting and moving slowly from bar to bar.
Even though there was some waiting time at Siora Rosa, the traditional dishes of meat and fish were delicious, the original hearty local cuisine.
Craving a snack? Find the best gelato in Trieste at Jazzin (map here), near Piazza Unitá d’Italia. Lots of classic and unusual tastes, excellent quality, just a few steps away from the sea.
For a tasty drink in a relaxed atmosphere, head to Stazione Rogers: built inside a caravan, with a DJ set on the side, surrounded by pallet furniture, it must be one of the most easy-going bars we’ve ever been to. The cocktails were great and the atmosphere was so relaxed and free: we spent quite a while people-watching, admiring the unique and cool outfits of guys and girls, relaxing on a Thursday evening.
Other attractions in Trieste
There is so much more to see in Trieste. Next time, we will consider visiting:
- The Opicina tramway and the beautiful view of Trieste and the gulf from the hills: starting from Piazza Oberdan, the tram line turns into a cog railway in order to climb up the hills.
- There are so many museums in Trieste! I was particularly interested in the Old Port Museum – in my head a cool industrial steam-punk museum – and in the modern art gallery of Revoltella Museum .
- The old harbour, near the train station
- The Southern side of the harbour
- Hiking in the nearby Carso hills
- A half-day trip to the village of Muggia (map here), which resembles Venice
Have you been to Trieste? Are you planning to visit? Let us know in the comments! Cheers!
