The city of Trieste is a beauty—architecturally impressive, with great craft shops. The best of them is Vud, where a highly skilled master of woodcutting and his lovely wife sell their… well, call it art… but it’s highly useful in every kitchen.
Food was not as good as in southern Italy, and yet don’t miss out on San Marco Café, one of the most beautiful cafés I’ve ever had coffee in. And again, the coffee was not exactly a masterpiece of barista-ship…, but the place has the overdecorated grandezza of the old Austro-Hungarian Kingdom, which Trieste was part of until 1918.
So the real gem was Miramare, a beautiful palace built by the Emperor’s brother, Ferdinand Maximilian, the Archduke of Austria until 1860. It looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale, and the surrounding park is worth more than a stroll. Best take a book and a blanket and sprawl on the ground, as the many Italians do here (as Trieste seems to be mainly a destination for Italian tourists). There is also a museum inside the castle, and since all this is located on the Adriatic Sea, it forms a highly protected sanctuary for the very biodiverse nature here. There is also a highly interactive museum dealing with maritime matters.
This is a city I will definitely return to.
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I spent more than month in Trieste back in 2012, falling in love with its liminality. I actually toyed with writing a novel set in the city (part of the reason I stayed a bit longer). I know I have my writing notes somewhere… Anyway, your post reminded me that I need to return someday in the not too distant future!
Thank you for making me “discover” Trieste through your wonderful and balanced description your and stunning pictures.
I may not be able to visit any time soon but it made me wish I could do so some day. I love Italy but evidently there are many places I have yet to explore.