This is the Italian capital of coffee, home of University of coffee and beautiful historical
cafes. Here they also have the largest sailing regatta in the world and the largest sea facing
square in Europe. This is Trieste, the most cosmopolitan city in Italy. Before the First World
War this was the most important sea port of the Austrian Empire, but now it is often overlooked
as an Italian hidden gem. Hi guys, my name is Rok and I’ve spent the last 9 years travelling
around Europe as a tour guide and I can’t wait to show you Things To Do In Trieste, Italy.
From the top of this mountain you will get the best view over the entire Gulf of Trieste. This
hill rises 300 meters or 1000 feet above the city of Trieste and the Adriatic Sea. From here
you will get a better understanding why throughout history different nations were drawn to this city.
As I will show you later, Romans were the first to leave an important mark in Trieste.
After the fall of the Romans, Trieste changed many hands until in the 1300s it became part
of Habsburg rule. Trieste remained part of the Austrian Empire until the end of the first world
war. In more than 500 years of Austrian rule, Trieste developed into the most important seaport,
trading port and shipbuilding centre in this part of Europe. In the 18th century Trieste was
declared a free port for coffee imports and that triggered the development of a thriving modern
coffee industry. This was the time when beautiful Vienna style palaces and charming coffee houses
were built. As a prosperous and cosmopolitan seaport Trieste attracted many writers,
poets and philosophers. After the collapse of the Austrian Empire at the end of the First World War,
multicultural and multinational Trieste became part of Italy. But during the dark moments of
the second world war the idea for a Temple on the top of this mountain was born. At the end
of the war Trieste was threatened with destruction and the archbishop of Trieste made a vow to Mary
in order to save the city. As Trieste was saved, the archbishop promoted the construction of this
temple as a sign of gratitude. This is how this very unusual Roman-Catholic church was built in
the 1960s as a symbol of peace and unity of all people. As the church can be seen
from a distance and due to its unusual design the temple has quickly become a landmark of Trieste.
This is a pilgrims' church dedicated to the Holy Mary as its triangular structure evokes the letter
M as a symbol of the Holy Mary. Due to its shape the church is also called the formaggino, meaning
the cheese triangle. Right under the Temple Of Monte Grisa runs this beautiful road that offers
great panoramic views of the city and the Gulf of Trieste. The road is carved on the slope of the
mountain and stretches for about 5 kilometres or 3,1 miles and the roundtrip is about 8 kilometers.
It is known as the Napoleonic trail as it was built by Napoleon troops. Mostly the gravel path
is closed to traffic and is a popular place for a stroll or a run. It is also suitable for bicycles
and families with young children and pushchairs. Part of the trail that runs through a rocky area
is wider and is covered with asphalt. With several vertical walls this part of the trail has become
a popular destination for free climbers. The trail can be reached by car, bus numbers 2 and 4
or by the distinctive local tram. This stone pier extends about 250 metres out to sea
and is a very popular place for a stroll. It was built in 17 hundreds on the wreck of a ship
that sank in the harbour. Many passenger ships and freighters used to dock at this pier,
and goods, merchants and passengers poured into Trieste from all over the world. Nowadays boats
dock here only during the Barcolana regatta as otherwise the pier serves as a stone paved
promenade offering coastal scenery of Trieste. The pier was renamed after destroyer Audace, the first
Italian ship to dock at the port of Trieste in 1918 when the city became part of Italy.
This canal was one of the nerve centres of Trieste's commercial hub as it enabled ships
to arrive in the heart of the city to unload their cargo. Its banks are lined with squares,
churches and historic cafés built by the merchants who made the city great.
The final part of the canal has been filled with waste material from demolition work and there is a
small torpedo boat lying on the canal bed. On the Ponte Rosso or the Red bridge stands a bronze,
life-size statue of Irish writer James Joyce that lived and worked in Trieste for 15 years.
Joyce once wrote that his heart is in Trieste and this quote is
written on a plaque at his statue. Joyce was just one of many artists, writers and
poets that were drawn to this cosmopolitan and prosperous city at the turn of the century.
Trieste experienced dark moments during the second world war. It started already in 1938 with
Italian Fascist leader Mussolini having a speech in Trieste on a main square
where he declared Racial Laws. But things got even worse when Nazis took over Trieste. They turned
this 19th century rice processing factory into a concentration camp equipped with a crematorium.
It was used for eliminating hostages, partisans, Italian, Slovene and Croatian political prisoners
and Jews. In 1965 the Rice Mill was designated a National Monument
and since then it serves as a memorial park. The visit is free of charge.
This Roman Theatre is one of the most striking remains of an ancient Roman town. The theatre
was built in the 1st century at the foot of the San Giusto hill and could accommodate up to 3,500
spectators. The ornamental statues and plaques that decorated the theatre are now in the Civic
Museum of History and Art located in the castle on the top of this hill. The theatre was unearthed in
1938, during the demolition of buildings which had been erected on top of the theatre.Theatre
is located on Via del Teatro Romano street and there is no admission to see it.
This is an active lighthouse serving the Gulf of Trieste. With its height of 68 metres or 223 feet
it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the world. It was built in the 1920s to also serve
as a memorial to the sailors who lost their lives in World War I. It was built on foundations of the
former Austrian fort. Dome is housing the lantern with an average range of 30 miles and on the top
is a copper statue of Winged Victory. As this is still an active lighthouse it is controlled by the
military. But the lighthouse can be visited from the last day of March to the beginning of November
from Friday to Sunday and there is no admission. Between 1pm and 3pm the Lighthouse is closed.
This long waterfront promenade known as Barcola serves as the main recreational area and bathing
beach of Trieste. Beautiful wide promenade runs along the park full of trees providing nice shade,
kids playground, showers and bars offering refreshment. In the summer time
the promenade will be full of beach towels and from time to time you will see steps running
into the sea. Due to its position this beach is naturally protected from the strong Bora wind.
This promenade is a popular meeting place and offers nice long walks all year round. Barcola
is also the birthplace of the largest sailing race in the world, the Barcolana regatta.
This hill in the city centre is the birthplace of Trieste. It was named after a patron Saint
San Giusto that was a citizen of Roman Trieste and sentenced to death by drowning in the 3rd century.
This Cathedral is dedicated to him and serves as the main church in the city.
It was built in 14 century by joining together two older churches. That is why on the inside
you can admire mosaics from as early as the 12th century.
Entrance to the Cathedral is free of charge, but donations are appreciated.
If you wish to climb to the bell tower the admission is 1,5 euro. Next to the Cathedral
are the remains of Roman Forum, main square of ancient Roman Trieste. Next to the church and the
forum is a fort built by Austrians in 13 hundreds after gaining Trieste. The build took almost 200
years and was completed in 16 hundreds as the entire old town was protected by the city walls.
As this was a military building on the top of the hill built to control the city it doesn't have any
glamour, but its ramparts and bastions offer a great panorama of the city. The fort also serves
as a venue for different events and as a museum with different collections and armoury offering a
better understanding of Trieste and its history. Admission for San Giusto Castle is 5 euro.
This amazing white marble castle on a sheer rock is commanding The Gulf of Trieste.
It was built by Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife Charlotte of Belgium
as a family home in 1860. Unfortunately they were not able to enjoy it much.
After only four years they went to Mexico as Maximilian was crowned as an Emperor of Mexico.
Maximilian’s Mexican rule abruptly ended after 3 years as he was executed by a firing squad.
Charlotte returned to Miramare but after suffering a nervous breakdown,
she was taken back to Belgium. Miramare became the occasional residence of the Habsburg family
until the first world war. When Trieste became part of Italy the castle became State property
and was turned into a museum where you can still admire its original luxurious interior. Miramare
also has a beautiful and spacious park. Large quantities of soil were imported from Austria
to turn this rocky Karst land into this lush green park. Maximilian loved this park so much that even
after moving to Mexico, he sent back numerous species of trees to be planted here. Miramare can
be visited every day from 9am to 7pm. Admission to Park is free while Castle ticket is 10 Euro.
This is the largest sea facing square in Europe and the heart of Trieste. The impressive scale
of this square shows the importance and the glory of this city. The square is surrounded by Vienna
style palaces. When you see this square it becomes clear how important and powerful Trieste was. This
is a huge living room of the city, dominated by a massive city hall with a clock tower that
is facing the Sea. In the city hall you can also find a useful tourist information office.
In front of the city hall is a fountain with four statues representing Four Continents.
You see the fountain was built in 1750, there were only four known continents as Australia was
discovered a bit later. Next to the fountain is a column with a statue of Charles VI of Habsburg. He
was the one that declared Trieste a free coffee port and thus turned it into a prosperous city.
Trieste's coffee culture is more than its heritage cafes as Trieste is the birthplace of commercial
coffee shipping and main Italian trading port for coffee beans. Here are coffee importers and
wholesalers, forwarding agents, specialist banks, insurance companies and brokers. Trieste is also
home of two famous European coffee brands, interestingly both founded by non-Italians.
In 1892 Hermann Hausbrandt, Captain of the Austrian merchant navy, started a business
of roasting and selling coffee in Trieste. He was one of the first artisan coffee roasters and
was the first to package coffee in sealed metal containers. Few decades later in 1933 Hungarian
Ferenc Illiy founded his coffee business. Illy invented the first automatic coffee machine and
developed a packaging system where coffee-filled cans are pressurised with nitrogen, to prevent
oxidation. Illy still has its headquarters and factory in Trieste. Illy also founded University
of Coffee dedicated to promoting and spreading the culture of high-quality coffee. When you are in
Trieste you simply have to indulge yourself with a good cup of espresso or nero as it is
known here. Trieste is much more than just the biggest port in Adriatic. It is a beautiful old
city where every corner offers rich history, where you can enjoy a cosmopolitan shopping experience
and indulge yourself with first class coffee in beautiful historic cafes. Obviously Trieste is not
a top destination like Rome or Venice and probably you wouldn’t fly around the world just to see it.
But if you end up using Trieste Airport for cheap flights around Europe you should take the time to
visit Trieste. Airport and the city centre are connected by bus no. 51. Also if you are in the
area Trieste should be on your shortlist as it is only a two-hour train ride away from Venice.
By the way, you can check my video Things To Do In Venice in the top corner. If you like this
video please give it a thumbs up. You can share your questions, suggestions or experience about
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