Index
What to visit in:
7.4 How to reach the places of interest
7.5 Where to go to the seaside
What to visit in:
1. A few hours
If you are in Trieste for a few hours, enjoy the city centre from the Grand Canal and Piazza Ponterosso to
Piazza Borsa and Piazza Unità, with its magnificent sea view. Stroll along the Audace Pier and then head into the old town, exploring its narrow streets to Piazza Cavana and Piazza Hortis.
2. Half a day
Stroll through the streets of the city center, from Piazza Ponterosso (if open, visit the Serbo-Orthodox Church of San Spiridione) to Piazza Borsa. Enjoy the magnificent panorama from Piazza Unità and the Molo Audace. Climb to the Castle of San Giusto, its ramparts offer an excellent view of the city and the gulf. Visit the Cathedral of San Giusto. On the way back, walk through the narrow streets of the old city and the ghetto, look for Tor Cucherna and Arco di Riccardo, until you reach Piazza Cavana and Piazza Hortis.
Alternatively, or if you still have a couple of hours available, visit Miramare Castle and its gardens. The view of the sea and the city from the Castle is splendid.
3. One day
If you have a whole day at your disposal you will be able to visit the city center and Miramare Castle with ease.
Stroll from Piazza Ponterosso to Piazza Hortis, passing through Piazza Borsa, the splendid Piazza Unità overlooking the sea and Piazza Cavana. Walk along the Audace Pier before getting lost in the streets of the old city and the ghetto going up to the Castle and the Cathedral of San Giusto. From the bastions of the Castle you can enjoy an excellent view of the city and the Gulf of Trieste. During the visit, do not miss the beautiful Catholic and Orthodox churches (Serbian and Greek).
Miramare Castle and its gardens will offer you a beautiful view of the city and the sea and a pleasant relaxation. You can also walk along the seafront, one of the favorite activities of the inhabitants of Trieste, who bath in that area during the summer.
If you have the time and interest, you can add to this first visit the Risiera di San Sabba, a Nazi concentration camp on Italian territory, or the Grotta Gigante, the largest single cave in the world. Both are located outside the city center and can be reached by public transport.
4. One and a half days
With a day and a half at your disposal you will be able to enjoy the city center, visit the Miramare Castle, the San Sabba Rice Mill and the Giant Cave.
The visit of the city center, from Piazza Ponterosso to Piazza Hortis passing through Piazza Borsa, the magnificent Piazza Unità overlooking the sea, with a walk on the Molo Audace is the ideal starting point to immerse yourself in the Austria-Hungarian atmosphere of the city of Trieste. Do not forget a visit to the beautiful Orthodox churches (Serbian and Greek). From here continue towards the Cathedral and the Castle of San Giusto, which dominate the city from a very panoramic hill.
The castle of Miramare will surprise you for its position overlooking the sea. From here you have a wonderful view of the city. Let yourself be enchanted by the Castle Museum and its large gardens. Have fun discovering ducks and swans in the pond.
For lovers of historical routes, the Risiera di San Sabba, the only Nazi concentration camp in Italy, is worth a visit. The visit is accompanied by a useful audio guide that reconstructs the history of the camp and the use of the various buildings.
For those who prefer to settle in natural environments, the Grotta Gigante, the largest single cave in the world, is unmissable. During the guided tour you will discover its peculiarities and characteristics of the karstic area, rich in caves of all kinds and sizes.
Alternatives to these last routes are the Via Napoleonica, a road that connects Opicina with the village of Prosecco and, further ahead, the Marian shrine of Monte Grisa (the pyramid trunk visible on the upper right from the Molo Audace). Monte Grisa itself is worth a visit due to its elevated and extremely panoramic position. Furthermore, the numerous museums of the city will offer you hours immersed in local and international culture (to name a few: the Revoltella Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Oriental Art, the Museum of the Sea and the Museum of Natural History).
A visit to the historical cafés certainly offers moments of pleasant relaxation. We recommend Antico Caffè San Marco, opened for lunch and dinner too, which is adjacent to the Synagogue (it worths a visit too).
5. Two or more days
If you stay two or more days in the city, you will be able to totally enjoy its atmosphere, its culture and its natural beauties.
Explore the city center, from the Grand Canal of Piazza Ponterosso to Piazza Hortis, passing through Piazza Borsa and the wonderful Piazza Unità, overlooking the sea. Visit the beautiful churches in the center, including the Orthodox churches (Serbian and Greek). Observe the city architecture, rich in Art Nouveau buildings, with large statues that decorate the imposing façades. Walking along the streets of the ghetto and the old town, you can walk to the Cathedral of San Giusto and the Castle, from whose bastions you can admire the city and the sea. Visit the Castle Museum, or one of the many museums in the city (for example the Revoltella museum, the Sartorius museum, the Museum of Oriental Art, the Aquarium). Take a break at one of the many city cafés, perhaps stopping in a historic café, such as Antico Caffè San Marco, adjacent to the Synagogue (open to visitors), which has kept its original furnishings.
The Castle of Miramare will fascinate you for its position overlooking the sea and its large gardens. Relax in the cool of the trees, strolling through the lanes in search of the swans, the Castelletto and the many plant varieties present in the park. The Castle Museum is very interesting for the original furnishings of Massimiliano and Carlotta and for the Art-Decò furniture collection by Duca d’Aosta. Take a walk along the seafront of Barcola, a place much loved by locals, who here, in the spring-summer season, come to sunbathe and take a bath.
If you are a nature lover, you cannot miss a walk on the Via Napoleonica that connects Opicina with Prosecco and, later, with the Marian shrine of Monte Grisa (the pyramid trunk visible from Molo Audace on the top right). The sanctuary itself is worth a visit because it is located in an extremely panoramic position. Furthermore, the Giant Cave, the largest single cave in the world, will amaze you. The guided tour is rich in information and very pleasant.
Points of historical interest are the Risiera di San Sabba, the only Nazi concentration camp in Italy and the Basovizza foibe. The Risiera di San Sabba is now a museum, which can be visited for free, and we recommend a visit with an audio guide to better understand the use made of it and the destination of the various rooms. In Basovizza, on the other hand, you will find a national monument to remember the tragedy of the sinkholes, a still unclear chapter of the events that, after World War II, saw Italian and Yugoslav protagonists in these territories.
In the surroundings of Trieste you will find the Castello di Duino, reachable also through the Rilke Path that starts from the town of Sistiana. Furthermore, the town of Piran, in Slovenia, fascinating for its position and Venetian architecture. In Slovenia, on the border with Italy, there is Lipica, famous for its white horses. The visit to the village is free (it also has a nice playground), while the access to horse shows and stables has a fee. From Trieste, it is also possible to visit Udine, Gorizia and Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
6. Other attractions
The Victory Lighthouse – from the lantern of the lighthouse you can admire the entire Gulf of Trieste. Check the days and hours of the visit (the opening is seasonal) on the website
Kleine Berlin is the largest underground anti-air tunnel complex dating back to World War II, still in existence in Trieste. Tour on the last Friday of the month, departing in front of via Fabio Severo 11, at 8pm. The visits are in Italian.
7. Tourist information
This information could not always be updated, and it refers to the summer period. Check on the internet or call to be sure of opening times / prices.
7.1 Tourist office
Infopoint di Trieste
piazza dell’Unità d’Italia 4/B, tel: (0039)0403478312
info.trieste@promoturismo.fvg.it
Opening times
From Monday to Sunday: 9am-7pm
7.2 Public transports
For bus timetables, the address is
Click on the desired bus number. Timetables should be checked especially on Sundays when the service is generally reduced.
Tickets can be bought in tobacconists or through the app Trieste Trasporti, paying with a credit card.
7.3 Where to eat
fish
Da Angelina, via Cadorna, 14 tel: (0039)3270599005
Da Scarpon, via della Ginnastica, 20 tel: (0039)040367674
Hostaria Malcanton, via Malcanton, 10 tel: (0039)0402410719
Trattoria Nerodiseppia, via Cadorna, 23, tel: (0039)040301377
Osteria Al Tempo Perso, via Boccaccio, 20 tel:(0039)3285319928
meat
Da Pepi, via della Cassa di Risparmio, 3 tel: (0039)040366858
Siora Rosa, piazza Hortis, 3 tel: (0039)040301460
Bracerie Venete, via della Madonnina, 5 tel: (0039)040765058
Pep’s steakhouse, via del Teatro, 1 tel: (0039)0402454882
restaurants and pizza
Al Barattolo, piazza Sant’Antonio Nuovo tel: (0039)040631480
Caprese, piazza della Borsa, 15 tel: (0039)040763963
La Tecia, via San Nicolò, 10 tel: (0039)040364322
Antica Hostaria da Libero, via Risorta 7/A tel: (0039)040301113
Eataly: Riva Tommaso Gulli tel: (0039)0402465701
osmiza
Farms in the Trieste Karst that offer local products such as eggs, cured meats and cold cuts, accompanied by homemade wine. Open for 8 (or multiples of 8) days, not much if compared to the quantity of wine they produce. Their presence and opening are marked by green leaves on the crossroads and near the osmiza. We recommend that you do not go to the osmize on their last working day as they may not have a wide selection of products.
Their opening should be checked on the website: http://www.osmize.com/; it is better to call before leaving to verify the actual opening.
Generally, they are all good, but we particularly recommend Zidarich for the sea view terrace and the excellent quality of the products. Compared to the average osmize, however, it is a bit more expensive.
7.4 How to reach the places of interest
- the city centre
From the Affittacamere Iris turn right and go straight. In about 10 minutes you arrive at the Grand Canal, the beginning of the tourist center of the city. Crossing the glass bridge (Passaggio Joyce) and going straight into the pedestrian area, you will arrive in Piazza Borsa and from there in Piazza Unità.
- San Giusto’s Castel and Cathedral
On foot starting from Piazza Borsa take Corso Italia up to Largo Riborgo and from there take Via di Donota. Continue the climb to the end, choosing via delle Monache on the left, when you meet a fork. When you find the paved road with rough stones, turn left and soon arrive at the top of San Giusto hill.
By bus take the number 24 (from the central station) which has its terminus right next to the Cathedral.
- Miramare Castle
Bus number 6 or 36 from the central station (to the right of the station, near the Pam supermarket). Bus nr 6 has the terminus in Grignano, behind the Castle. Look for the stairs to get to the castle gardens. Bus nr 36 (summer service only) stops at the Miramare junction. From there in about 10 minutes on foot you arrive at the Castle with a beautiful seaside promenade.
By ferry (Delfino Verde): only in Summer. Prices and timetable at the address:
- The Victory Lighthouse, Giant Cave, Monte Grisa
Bus nr 42: the terminus is in piazza Oberdan. From the Affittacamere turn right, immediately left into via Galatti and go straight to Piazza Oberdan. This bus makes a tour of the Trieste Karst up to all the destinations indicated.
The lighthouse is opened at different times according to the season. Check them at the address
http://www.turismofvg.it/Monuments-and-historical-sites/The-Victory-Lighthouse.
- Muggia
By bus: nr 20 or nr 21 from the central station
By ferry: it is the most fascinating route because it allows you to see Trieste from the sea. The Delfino Verde (as it is called) leaves from the Pier Bersaglieri (on the left looking at the sea from Piazza Unità). Information, prices and timetables at the address:
- Risiera di San Sabba
via Palatucci, 5 tel: (0039)040826202
bus nr 8 (from the train station) o nr 10 (from piazza Tommaseo)
- Historical café
Caffè degli Specchi, piazza Unità d’Italia, 7 tel: (0039)040661973
Caffè Tommaseo, piazza Tommaseo 4/c tel: (0039)040362666
Antico Caffè San Marco, via Battisti, 18 tel: (0039)0400641724
7.5 Where to go to the seaside
Barcola: the promenade leading to the castle of Miramare is very popular within the local people in spring and summer. Here you can sunbathe and take a bath. Equipped with free toilets and showers, it is easy to get to, free and there are many restaurants and bars nearby.
Pedocin (Bagno alla Lanterna): spaces are totally separated for men and women. You get there with bus nr. 9. Entry fee: 1 euro. Free showers and toilets. Bar on site.
Ausonia, Riva Traiana 1: reachable by bus nr. 9 is a bathing establishment equipped with refreshment, sunbeds and umbrellas. Check the entry fees online.
The following have an entry fee:
Grignano 1: Sirena, Riva Massimiliano e Carlotta 2
Grignano 2: Riviera, Riva Massimiliano e Carlotta 2
Le ginestre – Strada Statale 14, 153/s, Duino Aurisina
Canovella de Zoppoli – Strada Costiera, Duino Aurisina
Costa dei Barbari – Duino Aurisina
Sistiana
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