Oh dear Italy. We love your espresso macchiato, the many pastas and the dolce vita. For both of us Last year’s trip to Italy to Tuscany and Lake Garda was just too much time, so we decided without further ado to spend a sunny weekend in Trieste.
We originally wanted to travel to Turkey last week, but in view of the current events, we decided against it with a heavy heart. Anyone who knows us knows that if we are already prepared to travel, then it has to be like that. The choice fell on Trieste: Italian flair and that just 4 1/2 hours by car from Vienna – perfect!
Note: In March 2016 we were in Trieste a second time and have added further recommendations to this article .
1. Our hotel tip: Hotel Victoria Trieste We slept in the Hotel Victoria, which we can really recommend. The hotel is located just outside the city center – it is about to the main square minutes walk. But that didn’t bother us.
Room tip: We had a room on the fifth and last floor, which was really super nice and – unusual for a City Hotel – was also very spacious. And: we even had a mini balcony! By the way, we slept excellently, we have rarely had such a comfortable hotel bed.
2. Sights in Trieste The Canal Grande Our favorite sunset spot! The Canal Grande is the only canal in Trieste. It is surrounded on both sides by beautiful historical buildings. In the evening, the sun sets on the horizon in the sea and, with a bit of luck, bathes the Grand Canal in a warm light.
There are lots of restaurants and bars along the Grand Canal, that invite you to linger. There you can treat yourself to one or the other aperitivo and enjoy the flair of Trieste.
The main square in Trieste: Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia We have been told that the The main square in the center of Trieste is said to be one of the most beautiful squares in Italy and we can only agree. During our first visit, a huge stage had blocked the panoramic view, but that didn’t change the fact that the individual splendid buildings were beautiful to look at.
Meanwhile we were a second time in Trieste and were able to experience the Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia in all its glory. This time, too, we were blown away by the imperial flair. Incidentally, the place can hardly be overlooked. If you walk through the center of Trieste, sooner or later you are guaranteed to end up here.
Piazza del Barbacan A little hidden, but sooooo nice: the Piazza del Barbacan. An old Roman archway, the Arco di Riccardo, is integrated into a house front. This sight is really mesmerizing. In the Bar Barbacan there is excellent coffee and you sit in the midst of loud Italians.
The Piazza del Barbacan is something like a Insider tip in Trieste and not that easy to find. We have marked the location for you on our map at the end of the article.
Castello di San Giusto The medieval castle called Castello di San Giusto is one of the landmarks of Trieste. It is located on a hill in the center of Trieste. From the main square (Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia) you can reach the Castello di San Giusto in about 20 walking distance.
We particularly liked the distant view of Trieste and the sea from up here , although the castle ruins are of course also exciting. However, in our opinion, a visit to the Castello di San Giusto is not an absolute must (which does not mean that the climb is not worthwhile).
3. Excursion tips from Trieste Excursion to the Castello di Miramare A visit to the famous Castello di Miramare is a must when visiting Trieste. The castle is located on the north coast of the city. On the advice of hotel manager Lorenzo (thanks for the tip!), we took a boat (“Delfino verde” from Trieste ) taken to get there.
The boats to Castello di Miramare depart directly from the port of Trieste each time at 8: , 11: , 14: 30 and 17: 25 Watch. Attention: the boats only operate in the summer season. We have marked the departure location of the boats in our travel map at the end of the article.
The trip to the castle (the station is called Grignano) takes a good half hour and costs 4,25 Euro per person and route. For us, the boat trip was definitely the best decision, because it gave us a completely new view of Trieste, the coast and the castle Miramare.
Excursion to the Sanctuary of Monte Grisa From the Sanctuary on the 330 Meter high Monte Grisa you can enjoy a beautiful view of Trieste in good weather. Unfortunately, the view was pretty cloudy during our visit. The church itself is also quite interesting to look at with its peculiar concrete architecture, but the highlight here is undoubtedly the panoramic view of Trieste and the sea.
The best way to reach the pilgrimage church of Monte Grisa is by your own car. It is about from the center of Trieste minutes by car. Our tip: Combine the visit either with a visit to Miramare (if you drive by car) or visit the viewpoint on your arrival or departure.
Excursion to Muggia If you are in the hustle and bustle and yet quite touristy Trieste after a bit Italian small town life, then you should definitely take a trip to Muggia. By car it is just 14 minutes until you reach the small town on the coast. Alternatively, you can also take a boat from the port of Trieste. By the way, delicious ice cream is available in the Gelateria Jimmy.
4. Eating and drinking in Trieste The best ice cream in Trieste Delicious to your knees it is Gelateria Marco, which is a bit hidden in a narrow alley behind the main square. We had pistachio and hazelnut: clear recommendation! By the way, the gelateria is neither particularly stylish nor hip from the outside or the inside, but the ice cream is really excellent.
The best coffee houses in Trieste Admittedly: In Almost every coffee tastes good in Italy. In the Italian coffee empire, Trieste is something of a capital. Apparently, nowhere else in Italy is more coffee drunk than in Trieste.
To really celebrate coffee drinking in Trieste, there is a pretty cool thing: the coffee pass. You can buy the pass at the Tourist Information near Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia (or also at Trieste Airport and in some hotels) for five euros.
By the coffee pass you can get a coffee of your choice in seven traditional cafés. The coffee is typically drunk standing at the counter. But beware: The people of Trieste speak their own coffee language: What we know as espresso macchiato is called “capo” in Trieste, for example. And they call an espresso “Caffè Nero”. Confusing, isn’t it?
Pasticceria La Bomboniera As soon as we set foot in the Café in the Art Nouveau building, it was clear: The Pasticceria La Bomboniera has to be the most beautiful coffee house in all of Trieste . Here we suddenly felt transported back many, many decades. The glass cases are filled with countless cakes and pastries, each one looking better than the next. The Pasticceria La Bomboniera is included in the coffee pass.
Antico Caffè San Marco Maybe We drank the best espresso macchiato in the Antico Caffè San Marco. On top of that, the atmosphere of this Art Nouveau coffee house is just great. Antico Caffè San Marco is a bit out of the city center, but it’s definitely worth the trip. It is included in the coffee pass.
Caffè Tommaseo Of course we also had to pay a visit to the oldest coffee house in Trieste. Caffè Tommaseo is a Trieste institution, so don’t be surprised if you’re surrounded by groups of tourists. Nevertheless, we liked the historical flair in Caffè Tommaseo very much. We were there for breakfast. “Cappuccino e cornetto” – that’s all it takes to make us happy anyway.
The best pizza in Trieste Al Civicosei This modern pizzeria we discovered on our last visit to Trieste and were very impressed. The waitresses are ungla Usual friendly and the pizzas excellent. Be sure to try the Pizza Norma – a dream! We also liked the Vino Frizzante of the house. In terms of price, the Al Civicosei is also absolutely fine. The cheaper pizzas cost around 7 to 8 euros.
5. Our travel guide for Trieste We just can’t go anywhere without having a guide with us . For Trieste we have chosen the travel guide Reise-Know-How. Although it is not necessarily written specifically for young people (is there such a travel guide at all?), it is very compact and would still be our first choice.
6. More Trieste tips from our dear readers We have so many recommendations from you again Got Facebook (thanks a million!). Although we were not able to implement everything due to time constraints, we certainly don’t want to withhold the tips from you:
Daniel: Ausonia Summer Pool, Railway Museum, Barcola Beach, current exhibition in the old fishery Dajana: Lunch, dinner or aperitivo at 25 SOCIAL FOOD Agnes: Rilkeweg from Sistiana na ch Duino, dinner in Duino at Cavalluccio or in Sistiana at Tre Noci
We can also recommend this beautiful blog article with lots of tips for Trieste by Julia.
Transparency: This blog article contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through the links, we will receive a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. cool thing right? Many thanks to the Hotel Victoria for the invitation and thanks to the friendly staff – we felt incredibly comfortable!
Have you ever been to Trieste or would you like to spend a weekend in Trieste? Leave us a comment, we look forward to it!
