TRIESTE | TRIESTE PROVINCE

The city of Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. The city is capital of the Trieste Province in the Friuli Venezia Region.  It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of Italian territory lying between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city. Trieste is located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste and throughout history it has been influenced by its location at the crossroads of Latin, Slavic, and Germanic cultures. In 2009, it had a population of about 205,000.

Trieste was one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy. In the 19th century, it was the most important port of one of the Great Powers of Europe. As a prosperous seaport in the Mediterranean region, Trieste became the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague). In the fin-de-siecle period, it emerged as an important hub for literature and music. It underwent an economic revival during the 1930s, and Trieste was an important spot in the struggle between the Eastern and Western blocs after the Second World War. Today, the city is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port ( Port of Trieste), shipbuilding and financial services.

Trieste lies in the northernmost part of the high Adriatic in northeastern Italy, near the border with Slovenia. The city lies on the Gulf of Trieste. Built mostly on a hillside that becomes a mountain, Trieste's urban territory lies at the foot of an imposing escarpment that comes down abruptly from the Carso Plateau towards the sea. The karst landforms close to the city reach an elevation of 458 metres (1,502 ft) above sea level. It lies on the borders of the Italian geographical region, the Balkan Peninsula, and the Mitteleuropa.

Hotels listed have been used by Italiaoutdoors or recommended to our guest and have received positive reviews.  Always check on a booking site for updated rates and reviews, contact us at email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for travel question or updated suggest list.

Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta

Historical and grand but with modern Spa facilities and Harry's Grill - one of the best restaurants in Treiste. Located right on the stunning Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia.

Albergo Alla Posta

An old-world atmosphere but very modern amenities. Good location on the northern side of the city for both the train station and the bus station.

Hotel James Joyce

Clean bright rooms in a building dating back to 1770. 12 rooms in all and excellent central location.

Urban Hotel

Uber modern design and good central location.

Italy is one of the most diverse places in the world to visit but there is more to the country then Venice, Florence, Roma, Cinque Terre and a couple of other top attractions.  If you plan you days well and understand how to move around within the country you can a great cost effective vacation full of activity, history, culture, and great food and wine.  Contact us to get the insights to travel in Italy.  We offer:

• Travel Consultant- book time online for a web chat to answer your questions about traveling in Italy.
• Travel Planning - need help outlining and planning your adventure in Italy.
• Scheduled Tours - each month we lead a scheduled tour for those looking to join a small group to explore.
• Travel support:  Bike Touring - routes, bike rental, bag transfers.  Walking/Hiking Tours - routes, bag transfers.
• Booking assistance and suggested contacts.

€€€ Harry's Grill

Alongside the famous hotel Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta, the Grill was opened by the Cipriani family who own Harry's Bar in Venice. Serving regional and international dishes in elegant surroundings. Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia. Tel +39 040 760 0011

€€ Al Bagatto

Situated close to the waterfront, this family run restaurant specialises in fish and has been run by three generations of the same family. Open only in the evenings. Via L Cadorna 7, Tel +39 040 301771

€€ Buffet da Pepi

In business for over 100 years, this traditional buffet serves a mixture of boiled meats, hams, sausages and hot mustards and horseradish sauces. Via della Cassa di Risparmio 3, Tel +39 040 - 366 858 Closed Sunday.

€€ Caffè Tommaseo

The oldest caffè in Trieste and a favourite haunt of James Joyce and Sigmund Freud. As well as coffee it has good selection of antipasto, pastas, meat and fish. Riva Tre Novembre 5, Tel + 39 040 362 666

What to order

Trieste is well known for its buffets and you should try one or two of these as well as restaurants. Boiled meats, sausages, sauerkraut and beer reflect the city's middle European heritage and dumplings often replace pasta. Goulash is another favourite of the city. Trieste is also famous for its cafes and coffee itself played an important role in its trading history - as a free port after 1719 it became the major gateway for all of Italy's coffee imports, and is today the headquarters of the famous Illy family coffee empire.

The white wines of Collio Goriziano are admired throughout Italy, the most commonly grown grapes being Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla. Closer to Trieste are the smaller growing areas of Isonzo and Carso. Isonzo makes wonderful Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, as well as some striking reds based mostly on Merlot. Carso is well known for its Terrano red - a favourite of the locals of Trieste grown on low-lying land which is very hard to cultivate and harvest.

There is an airport 33 km north west of the city (known as Ronchi) which serves the whole Friuli Venezia Giulia region and has flights connecting with Munich, Rome and London Stansted. There is an APT coach service which connects the airport with the centre of Trieste.

There is a good Bus service between Trieste and Ljubljana in Slovenia which takes about 2.5 hours. Timetables are different for weekdays and weekends. There is currently not a rail link between Trieste and Ljubljana.

For all train information visit www.trenitalia.com which has an English version. Train travel in Italy is inexpensive and comfortable. Major cities are served by non-stop fast trains known as the Eurostar.

If you are making plans for wider Europe then www.raileurope-world.com is a useful site.

Italo

NTV (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori) is a new private company which started operating it's Italo high-speed trains on the Milan-Florence-Rome-Naples route in April 2012, in competition with State-owned operator Trenitalia. NTV have added new routes subsequently and are Europe's first private high-speed train operator, with a real emphasis on customer service. Travellers should be aware that the city stations used are not always the same as those used by Trenitalia.