Trieste
A city of Habsburg grandeur, literary cafés, and sea views, Trieste is Italy's most distinctive crossroads, where Central Europe meets the Adriatic.
Trieste's Storied Past
Trieste is unlike anywhere else in Italy. For centuries the great seaport of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it carries an elegance all of its own, with grand Viennese-style boulevards and palazzi gazing out over the Adriatic. At its heart lies Piazza Unità d'Italia, Europe's largest sea-facing square, framed by majestic civic buildings and open to the water on one side. Just along the coast, the fairy-tale Miramare Castle rises from its own promontory, its gardens tumbling towards the sea. Here, history feels grand, layered, and quietly cosmopolitan.
Trieste's Café Culture
Few cities take coffee as seriously as Trieste. Home to Illy and the historic port through which much of Italy's coffee still arrives, the city has made the café an institution. Grand, mirror-lined coffee houses such as Caffè San Marco and Caffè degli Specchi have welcomed writers and thinkers for over a century, James Joyce among them, who wrote much of his finest work here. Order a "nero" at the counter or settle in with a newspaper, and you take part in a ritual that defines daily life in Trieste.
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Trieste Beyond the City
Trieste sits where the limestone Karst plateau plunges to the Adriatic, and its surroundings are as compelling as its streets. Follow the coastal path from Miramare, swim from the rocky lidos that locals love, or head into the hills to taste crisp white wines in family-run osmizas, the informal farm taverns unique to this corner of Italy. With Slovenia minutes away and the vineyards of Collio within easy reach, Trieste rewards travellers who venture beyond the piazza, offering a side of Italy few ever discover.
A guided tour of the Archduke's romantic coastal retreat.
A visit to one of Europe's largest synagogues and the historic ghetto.
A literary tour following the footsteps of the Irish author.
A descent into the world’s largest tourist cave.
Sitting at Caffè degli Specchi in Italy's largest sea-facing square.
A trip into the hills to find a farmhouse with an open branch signal.
Savoia Excelsior Palace is a luxury waterfront hotel in Trieste, offering elegant rooms, a wellness centre, and panoramic views over the Bay of Trieste.
Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta is a luxury hotel in Trieste, offering elegant rooms, a spa, and a prime location on Piazza Unità d’Italia.
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