Book a bed and breakfast in Trieste during the second week of October to witness the splendid and unique spectacle of the Barcolana
The first edition of the Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta took place on 1969 organized by the Yachting club of Barcola and Grignano, with 51 boats on the starting list. From year to year the event has progressively increased its popularity till it become the most crowded regatta in the world: in 2001 the starting list reached the remarkable number of 1968 boats attracting international crews and famous skippers from all over the world. The special formula of the regatta Barcolana provides a single departure for all boats, although belonging to different categories, and takes place on a 15-mile four-sided course starting from the headquarters of the Yachting club Barcola and Grignano, reaching Miramare castle and ending in front of the Audace pier and Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia where more than 250,000 spectators are waiting for the finish line from the banks. Currently the Barcolana can't be defined just a sailing competition since it become an event involving the entire city for a whole week thanks to other side events: during the second week of October concerts, night regattas and the Barcolana village, with food and wine stands and exhibition spaces for equipment and technical materials, attract every year thousands of sail-lovers and tourists in Trieste.
The best places to watch this unique spectacle are the coastal road of barcola and some areas of the Karst from where you can enjoy an extraordinary view of the gulf, such as the belvedere near the Opicina obelisk, the panoramic Strada del Friuli and the Napoleonic road.