Travels in Italy, Trieste

I had been trying to plan a trip to Slovenia and Croatia for a few years, but kept putting it off. My hesitation was transportation, how would we travel around the two countries. Preferring not to be bothered with a car, and because of the great train systems throughout most of Europe, we usually travel by train from one town to another, even when crossing borders. But the train systems are limited in these areas; Croatia’s long coast line has no train service at all, only infrequent buses.

Trieste, Italy

Our first decision was to limit our visit to Slovenia and the northern part of Croatia, saving southern Croatia for another time. It is expensive flying into Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital, so we chose to fly into Trieste, Italy, which borders Slovenia. I had read about the town and was curious to see it, so beginning our trip there was perfect.

Arriving in Trieste, however, didn’t solve our ground transportation problem, but something else did. While doing research I came upon a shared car service called GoOpti. After further investigation, I took a leap of faith and booked the service for three trips.

With that out of the way, off we went.

Trieste's Harbor

Between its geographic location and its past, Trieste is unique among Italian cities. Dating back to perhaps the beginning of the Ice Age, it has a long, complicated history.

In most recent times, Trieste flourished as part of Austria, and later under the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. In its day it was considered one of the most prosperous Mediterranean seaports. However, after World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Trieste was annexed to Italy. This led to a decline in its economic and cultural importance and the city lost its strategic and commercial influence.

The Second World War brought with it new struggles. Italy lost the war and Trieste was invaded by Tito's Yugoslavian troops. Thousands of Italians who spoke out against the Communist regime were incarcerated. They were eventually released, thanks to the intervention of Allied troops, and the city came under US military rule until 1954. It was then that Trieste was returned to Italy and became the administrative seat of Italy’s smallest province, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia.

Savoia Excelsior Palace

Back to the present day. Arrival in Trieste was easy; we took a train from the airport into town and had a short walk to our hotel, the Savoia Excelsior Palace. The hotel was lovely. The common spaces were beautifully appointed and our bedroom was spacious with a wonderful balcony and sea view. Best of all, the location was perfect. Everything was within an easy stroll.

We arrived early afternoon, which gave us time to tour the town. Our first stop was a visit to Eataly, a large Italian food emporium which is happily situated right at the water’s edge. The café portion of the marketplace faces the harbor. The huge window makes it feel as though you are sitting right on the water. We ordered some bruschetta and wine and enjoyed our little respite after the long, overnight journey from the States.

View from Eataly's Café

Now satiated and recharged, we set out for a walk through the pedestrian streets and squares and up toward the castle (Castello di San Giusto). As you roam about you see Trieste’s diverse history in its architecture. One moment you feel you could be could be in Vienna, the next Venice. The beautiful Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia is a grand square featuring the city hall as its main attraction. This is a perfect example of Trieste’s cultural mix, built by the Hapsburgs, but reminiscent of Venice’s St. Mark’s Square.

In addition to its architecture, the food is a mélange of tastes and cultures too. Austria meets the Mediterranean as locals are as at home ordering beer, stews and strudel as they are wine, pasta and biscotti. Fresh seafood from the Adriatic is also on the menu as are dishes prepared with Latin and Slavic influences.

Like Vienna, Trieste has a café and coffee culture. It seems like everyone is out enjoying the café scene. My two favorite coffees are Italian, Lavazza and Illy. Illy’s headquarters is in Trieste, so you know you’ll get a great cup when you join in and indulge in a coffee and pastry.

Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia and City Hall

As we continued through the pretty streets and squares, we meandered up to the castle. The castle stands atop the hill, next to Roman remains of the Forum and the Basilica. The castle itself is not particularly remarkable, but the views from the wall are spectacular and the nearby ruins are interesting to explore.

We had dinner at a nice trattoria specializing in seafood called Antica Ghiacceretta. The hotel neglected to make our reservation, but they happily accommodated us. We chose to sit outside as it was a perfect early September evening. The food was good, we split an octopus salad as our first course then followed up with a filet of branzino and a tuna steak as our main meals. Their wines were also good and were very reasonably priced. It was a nice end to our tiring two days of traveling and touring.

Trieste doesn’t have any blockbuster sites; it is a working town not a tourist destination. But it is a lovely jumping off point to visit Slovenia or other points in Italy such as Venice and the Veneto region. It is well worth a look for anyone visiting this part of Italy.

The next day we were using the GoOpti service for the first time, taking a side trip to another Adriatic port town, Piran, Slovenia, just a short ride away. We were keeping our fingers crossed that it would go well.