Things To Do In Trieste — 10 Must See Trieste Attractions & Places to Visit

Trieste is a unique city for both its geographical location on the border between different nations in an enclosed area enclosed between the karstic plateau and the Adriatic Sea, and the historical events that interested and influenced it over the years from cultural and architectural point of view.

After the recent works of renovation and restoration, the historic center of Trieste has gained again the elegance and splendor of its past, from the findings of Roman ruins to the splendid palaces dating back to the Austro-Hungarian period.

Definitely worth a visit the main square Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia, which currently represents the largest square overlooking the sea in Europe, the San Giusto complex located on the homonymous hill overlooking the town and the Teresian district, evidence of economic and social, cultural development inherited during the Austrian domination. By walking in the center of Trieste you will notice a composite architectural style, with an alternation of neoclassical, eclectic and liberty style buildings that gives to the city a unique and particular charm.

If your visit will take more days, we suggest you to visit the Karst plateau where you can explore and discover a unique environment, characterized by woods, meadows, deserted lands and a fascinating underground world. The environment becomes particularly attractive during autumn when the sumac bushes and the terebinth leaves color the limestone rocks of an intense red.

Of notable interest, nearby Trieste, the small town of Muggia, the village of Duino, with the splendid Castle of the princes Torre e Tasso and the fortress od the White Lady, the exclusive village of Portopiccolo and the Villaggio del Pescatore (fisherman's village) where you can visit the awesome paleontological site.

Trieste ha una scontrosa grazia. Se piace, è come un ragazzaccio aspro e vorace, con gli occhi azzurri e mani troppo grandi per regalare un fiore.

Trieste has a surly grace. If you like it, it's like a rough and voracious bad boy, with blue eyes and too big hands to give a flower. (Umberto Saba)

1. Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia

4. Roman theater

Roman Theater

It represent the best preserved Roman building in Trieste: in Roman times it was situated a few steps from the sea beach, with a beautiful facade divided by niches and marble columns and decorated with life-size statues of which only fragments remain. Another facade, built like a temple, constituted the scene, on the inner side.

Between the two facades there were small dressing rooms where the actors made themselves up and prepared. Unfortunately, the entire complex was despoiled of its marbles, columns and other parts and later fell into decay. Only partly remain the walls of the dressing rooms, some column base and some architectural fragments.

On other hand it is well preserved the semicircular wall that delimited the auditorium for audience. Taking advantage of the natural slope of the hill have been built a series of steps, divided into three sectors where about three thousand people could take place. The first tier with limestone seats was destined to the city authorities.

The wall is well preserved because for centuries it has been incorporated in the medieval houses which arose in this area. The remains of the Roman Theater were brought to light only in 1935, although it the existence of the theater was already known because of the name “old rena” given to that area: the name is an obvious corruption of Arena (sand). However it seems that in 1400 the auditorium was still used for performances.

5. Riccardo arch and the Barbacan square

Riccardo Arch

The Riccardo Arch is located in the Barbacan square behind the church of San Silvestro and is the oldest monument from Roman origin survived untill today. Its structure is fairly similar to the triumphal arches that the Romans used to erect in honor of victorious generals although it is actually a monumental gate of the city walls, built around 50 B.C. When the walls were torn down during the first century A.D. to enable the development of the city, this beautiful gate was left intact just like a triumphal arch. The name comes from the popular belief that this arch was erected in honor of King Charlemagne (King Charles becomes Ri Cardo). Another belief says that in a tower that once stood in this square was imprisoned King Richard the Lionheart, waiting for the payment of ransom. His name would be later passed to the square and to the arch.

Location

Piazza del Barbacan

6. Karst and Giant Cave

Visiting the Karst means exploring and discovering a unique environment, characterized by forests, meadows, deserted lands and a fascinating underground world. The environment becomes particularly attractive in autumn when the sumac bushes and the terebinth leaves color the limestone rocks of an intense red. Don't miss to visit to Rosandra Valley, the church of Monrupino and the Giant Cave (Grotta Gigante), the tourist cave containing the largest natural hall in the world.

Giant Cave

Located a few kilometers north of the village “Grotta Gigante” (Giant Cave) is famous for its main cavity called the Great Cave whose size could contain the St. Peter's Basilica of Rome. Its cavity presents a ellipsoidal shape that measures 275 meters long, 65 meters wide and a domed vault that exceeds 100 meters: such size will confer the title of biggest cavity open to the visitors of the world. For its geological aspects the Giant Cave is one of the three most spectacular karst cave as well as the only one left in Italian territory since Postojna cave and Skocjan cave are now in Slovenia. The cave belong to the Julian Alpine company that takes care of opening, lighting and providing guides services and it can be visited in around an hour during the whole year. A long stairway interspersed with walkways, trails and ramps suspended in space leads to the cave base: the show is striking thanks to the skillful electric lighting system that puts special emphasis on the vault and on the reddish tint of crystalline formations, stalactites and stalagmites of impressive dimensions, such as "La Palma" more than six meters high. The Giant Cave, besides being a place of tourist interest, is also an important scientific research station: thanks to its exceptional size very sensitive instruments for the study of meteorology and microclimate underground, physics land and karst have been located inside the cave.

Location

Località Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/A – Sgonico (Trieste)

7. Ponterosso and St. Spyridon temple

Within the Teresian district, the Ponterosso (red bridge) area around the homonymous square is one of the most evocative corners of Trieste: you can attend the many historic cafes in the area near the Grand Canal and the Ponterosso, like Joyce Cafè and Polaris cafè (Stella Polare), or visit Gopcevich Palace which houses the Civic Museum of Theater Carlo Schmild or discover the treasures kept in the St. Spyridon temple.

SS. Trinity and St. Spyridon Serbs Orthodox temple

One sides of Piazza Sant’Antonio (St. Anthony Square) is dominated by the sparkling gold and colors of the temple of SS. Trinity and St. Spyridon Serbs Orthodox temple : the entrance, overlooks the homonymous street although in the initial project must be open onto a large garden. The church building start in 1861 in the area that previously housed the greek-illyrian church; the work lasted several years because due to the bulk of the structure the underlying ground required a consolidation process by piling. The project by C. Maciacchini from Milan was built by P. Palese in collaboration with the sculptors A. Caremi and E. Bisi, the painter G. Bertini for the ornamental parts and with Venetian mosaic artists. When completed in 1869 it was solemnly consecrated. The building has a capacity of 1,600 people, it is shaped on a Greek cross plan and it is covered by five domes, according to the Eastern Byzantine tradition. The facade parted in four horizontal bands, the gate, the small arches, and the mullioned windows contribute to emphasize the general coloring; the interior is dominated by the iconostasis, from Moscow and from the mid-nineteenth century, whose depictions are covered with gold glitter, silver and precious stones. A jeweled cross made of gold and silver, with Jesus crucified and at the foot the Madonna and San Giovanni, performed in 1881 above the altar, the table is adorned with a silver bas-relief depicting the Last Supper.

10. What to eat in Trieste

The gastronomic tradition of Trieste undergoes a clear Austro-Hungarian influence: typical dishes are pork-based, boiled (so-called boiler dishes), jota, goulash, calandraca (dish with boiled meat, onion potatoes and vegetables) and the sausages of vienna or cragno.

Absolutely must try the sandwich of cooked "triestino" ham (baked inside a bread crust) and the porcina (porzina) sandwich garnished with mustard and spicy kren, served hot in one of the numerous buffets in the historic center. The buffets are a real institution of the culture in Trieste: they are small restaurants with simple furnishings and frequented by locals, where you can taste, standing or sitting, typical dishes of Trieste combined with a glass of native wine.

In addition to autro-Hungarian dishes you can taste seafood specialties such as prawns or squills cooked in busera way, sea soup (brodetto), marinated sardines (sardoni in savor) or mussels cooked with garlic (pedoci ala scotadeo).

10+1. Trieste surroundings

Visiting Trieste will take at least 2-3 days of sightseeing, consequently there may be little time left to explore the surroundings. If you have few days more you should visit the surrounding areas that offer different itineraries of art and nature. Among the nearest remarkable destinations there are Duino, Sistiana, Muggia, Portopiccolo, Venice, Skocjan Caves, Postojna Cave Park, Ljubljana.

Duino Castle

At the end of this short guide we mention two noteworthy tourism initiatives: 

- the Trieste HopTour, the new tourist transport service HopOn HopOff of the city of Trieste. For BNBTRIESTE cstomers there is a discount for buying tickets on line by using the code "farida9920" for tours in Trieste (15% discount) and "farida9910" for the tour out of town (10% discount). For more information visit the website https://www.hoptour.it/home/

- the FVGcard, the tourist card with a validity of 48 hours, 72 hours or 7 days which allows free entry to attractions, conventioned facilities and sightseeing tours. The cost is respectively € 18.00 / 48 h, € 21.00 / 72 h, € 29.00 / 1 week. Among the conventioned attractions we mention as follows:

Giant Cave, Revoltella Museum, Civic Museum of War for the Peace of Diego De Henriquez, Natural History Civic Museum of Trieste,  History and Art Civic Museum and the Lapidary Garden, Civic Marine Aquarium of Trieste, Botanical Garden La Carsiana.