Trieste is a sea port city in north east Italy. It is on the Adriatic Sea, quite close to Slovenia and Croatia. It is the capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, one of the richest areas in Italy.
We visited on the way back from Croatia in May this year. There are several “must see” attractions in Trieste and we set out to find all of them.
The magnificent Piazza Unita d’Italia is a great place to begin exploring the city. It is difficult to show in a photo how huge and grand this piazza is.
We called into the famous Caffe degli Specchi for a coffee and a pastry to gather strength for the day.
The Molo Audace juts 246 metres into the sea not far from Piazza d’Italia, offering a different view. It is a popular place to promenade.
A short walk away is Canal Grande dating from 1756. It was previously used for sailing ships, but they are long gone and now pretty little boats take their place. Cafes line the canal and are a popular place to gather.
At the end of the canal is the Neoclassical Sant’ Antonio, built in 1849.
To the right is the Serbian Orthodox San Spiridione dating from the mid 19th century.
There are many grand buildings in Trieste reflecting its Austrian heritage. The city was part of Austria from 1382 until 1919.
Trieste is a vibrant, lively city with outdoor cafes everywhere. Going hungry is not an option.
There is a well preserved Roman Theatre at the foot of San Giusto. It was built in the second half of the 1st century.
The Synagogue of Trieste dating from 1912 is the second largest in Europe.
In the interests of research we found the Caffe San Marco, opened just before WWI. It was saved from demolotion in 2013. It has now been beautifully restored and serves great coffee and snacks.
From there we headed up to the green park above the city. There are lots of steps.
At the top is the Castel San Giusto built over 2 centuries, beginning in the 15th century. It is set in a restful park.
Dark clouds gathered and it began to rain as we left the park.
A gorgeous rainbow over Piazza Unita d’Italia took our minds off our damp clothes.
The piazza looked different again as we headed out for dinner.
We had dinner in the highly recommended Caffe Tommaseo. The service did not come with a smile, but the food was good.
The Piazza Unita d’Italia looked wonderful as we wandered back to our hotel after a busy day.
We stayed at the superb Savoia Excelsior Palace. Even the name is grand. We don’t usually stay at 5 star hotels, but they offered an excellent last minute rate…how could we refuse?
The hotel was excellent and we were able to park directly opposite in the enormous car park on the edge of the port.
We had a great view of the port from our balcony…one last look before we headed off home to Bagni di Lucca.
Trieste is well worth an overnight stay. I hope you get a good deal at Savoia Excelsior Palace.