A Weekend in Trieste: Travel Guide and Travel Tips

Oh, dear Italy. We love your espresso macchiato, the abundance of pasta and the dolce vita. Trieste, a mere 4.5 hour drive from Vienna, is just the perfect place fo a city trip.

In this travel guide we will show you the most important sights and highlights in Trieste and reveal our very personal tips for the perfect city trip. We have been to Trieste several times now and are constantly adding tips to this travel guide.

1. Our Hotel Tip: Hotel Victoria Trieste

We stayed with Hotel Victoria, which we can highly recommend. The hotel is a bit out of the city centre, about a 15 minute walk to the main square, but that didn’t bother us much. 

Room Tip: We’d suggest asking for the rooms on the top floor if you can! Our room was on the fifth and last floor, and it was really so nice and also super spacious, which is unusual for a city hotel. We even had a mini balcony! Also, we rarely come across such comfortable hotel beds, so we slept very well here.

2. Trieste Travel Guide: Top Sights in Trieste

The Canal Grande

Let’s start with one of our favorite places in Trieste. No, not only Venice has a Canal Grande – but also Trieste. However, the Canal Grande is the only canal in Trieste and therefore one of the highlights of the city.

On both sides of the canal you can find beautiful palaces and historic trading houses. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars. In the evening the sun sets acress the horizon in the sea and, with a little luck, casts its warm colours along the Canal Grande. The best thing to do is stop off at one of the bars, treat yourself to an aperitivo and enjoy the flair of Trieste.

At the eastern end of the canal you reach Piazza Sant’Antonio Nuovo. Here you can find the church of Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo, which reminded us of a Greek temple. The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Trinity and St. Spyridon is also quite an eye-catcher here.

The main square: Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia

The spacious main square in the center of Trieste is called “Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia”. It is not only one of the most important sights in Trieste, but is said to be one of the most beautiful squares in Italy and we can only agree with that. The imperial square is gigantic in size, gigantic in beauty – and hard to miss. If you walk through the center of Trieste, you’re guaranteed to end up here sooner or later.

You will find some magnificent neoclassical and baroque buildings here, for example the town hall (Palazzo del Municipio), the government palace (Palazzo del Governo) and the Palazzo del Lloyd Triestino. On its northwestern side the square is open to the sea. (Incidentally, this is also where the cruise ships dock.)

There are often events taking place on the square, so that sometimes a stage obscures the view. (Has happened to us twice now.) We keep our fingers crossed that you can enjoy the place without any stage.

View of Trieste from the Molo Audace

You can enjoy a really beautiful view of Trieste from the so-called Molo Audace. The pier is not a classic attraction and is not a gem in itself. It is also no longer used to load ships. Instead, it serves as a special promenade and viewing point by the sea.

The evening, when the sun slowly sets into the sea, is clearly the best time to visit. Then you can watch as Trieste is bathed in beautiful sunset light.

Locals and tourists come to the pier to enjoy the magnificent atmosphere by the sea with a view of Trieste. Many also bring something to drink or snacks with them – but be careful of hungry seagulls.

The Piazza del Barbacan

A little hidden away is the very charming: Piazza del Barbacan. What’s really fascinating is the old Roman archway (Arco di Riccardo), which is integrated into a house front. At Bar Barbacan, you can enjoy excellent coffee whilst you sit in amidst all the Italians.

The Piazza del Barbacan is something of an insider tip in Trieste and not so easy to find. We marked the location on our map at the end of the travel guide.

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 centre and from the main square (Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia), you can reach the Castello di San Giusto in about 20 minutes.

We particularly enjoyed the distant view of Trieste and the sea from up here, although the castle ruins were also exciting. However, a visit to the Castello di San Giusto in our opinion is not an absolute must, but that doesn’t mean the uphill walk wasn’t worth it!

Right next to the castle is another highlight of Trieste, the Cattedrale di San Giusto. It’s definitely worth taking a look inside, the atmosphere is very special. At certain times you can also climb the bell tower. The view from up here is said to be fantastic.

3. Excursion Tips from Trieste

Excursion to the Castello di Miramare

A visit to the famous Castello di Miramare is definitely a must when visiting Trieste. The castle is located on the coast, north of the city. Thanks to the advice of our hotel manager, Lorenzo, we took a boat from Trieste (“Delfino verde”) to get there.

How to get to Castello di Miramare

The boats to Castello di Miramare leave directly from the port of Trieste at 8:00, 11:00, 14:30 and 17:30. Note: the boats only run in the summer season. We have marked the location for you, of where the boats depart from, in our travel map at the end of the travel guide.

You can also reach the castle by train. The ride takes about half an hour and costs about 5 euros per person (8.50 roundtrip). The station you want is called Grignano. For us, the boat trip was definitely the best decision because we had a completely new and unique view of Trieste, the coast and the Miramare Castle.

Visit to the castle and castle park

The Castello di Miramare Castle is impressively located on a rocky outcrop directly on the coast and is an absolute eye-catcher with its white limestone facade. Inside the Castle you can find an exhibition that takes you into the historical representative rooms. Of course, you can also just view the castle from the outside. We definitely recommend a walk through the huge, beautifully maintained castle garden.

Hike along the Rilke Trail

Maybe you would like to experience the beautiful nature around Trieste on a short hike? Then we have a special tip for you: the Rilke Trail, known in Italian as “Sentiero Rilke”. This great hiking trail is about half an hour’s drive north of Trieste.

The Rilke Trail runs between the towns of Duino and Sistiana directly along the rugged coast and gives you fantastic views of the sea. As the name suggests, the trail is named after Rainer Maria Rilke, who was a guest here.

The path is just over 2 kilometers long (one-way). It takes about an hour one way – so it takes about two hours there and back. (If you also want to visit Duino Castle, you should plan extra time.) We started in Sistiana. There is a small parking lot right at the start of the path, but unfortunately it fills up quickly.

Good shoes are definitely necessary – sometimes you hike over gravel, sometimes over rocks, sometimes through the forest. Overall, however, the path is not demanding.

Excursion to the Sanctuary of Monte Grisa

From the pilgrimage church on the 330m high Monte Grisa you can enjoy a beautiful view of Trieste in good weather. Unfortunately, the view was quite clouded during our visit. The church itself is also 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 Sanctuary of Monte Grisa is by car, which takes about 20 minutes from the centre of Trieste. Our tip: Combine the visit with either a visit to Miramare (if by car) or a visit to the viewpoint.

Excursion to Muggia

If you long for a bit of local small town Italian life amongst the rather touristy and bustling city of Trieste, then you should definitely do a trip to Muggia. It takes just 15 minutes by car to reach the small town by the coast. Alternatively you can take a boat from the harbour right in Trieste.

Muggia itself is a tranquil coastal town – not incredibly spectacular, but simply pleasant. The district around the small harbor with the colorful house facades is well worth seeing. A walk through the small old town is also worthwhile. Another tip: you can get very good ice cream at Gelateria Jimmy.

Tips for guided tours around Trieste

Maybe you would also like to go on a guided tour? We have put together some recommended tours for you here.

4. Eating and Drinking in Trieste: Culinary Travel Guide

The best ice cream in Trieste

The ice cream from Gelateria Marco is to die for. This little gelato heaven is tucked away in a narrow alley behind the main square. Pistachio and hazelnut is our winning recommendation! Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, this gelateria is neither particularly stylish nor hip in its exterior and interior designs, but their gelatos are pure gold.

The best coffee houses in Trieste

Granted, in Italy, basically every coffee is a good coffee. In the coffee empire of Italy, Trieste is considered its capital. Allegedly, there is nowhere else in Italy that drinks more coffee than in Trieste.

To really celebrate the coffee culture here in Trieste, there is a pretty cool idea called the Coffee Pass. You can buy the pass at the tourist office near Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia (or at Trieste airport and in some hotels) for 7 euros.

With the coffee pass, you can get a coffee of your choice in several traditional cafes. Coffee for Italians, is typically drunk while standing at the counter. But be warned: the people of Trieste speak their own coffee language: what we know as Espresso Macchiato is called “Capo” in Trieste, and an espresso is to them “Caffè Nero”. Confusing, right?

Pasticceria La Bomboniera

As soon as we set foot in this café, we ranked the Pasticceria La Bomboniera as the most beautiful coffee shop in all of Trieste. Here we suddenly felt like we’d travelled back a few decades. The glass cases are filled with countless cakes and pastries. The Pasticceria La Bomboniera is also included in the coffee pass.

Antico Caffè San Marco

Perhaps the best espresso macchiato was the one from Antico Caffè San Marco. On top of that, the atmosphere of this coffee house is just great. The Antico Caffè San Marco is a bit out of the city centre, but worth the drive, plus it’s one of the cafes 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 an institution in Trieste, so do not be surprised if you are surrounded by tourist groups. Nevertheless, we really liked the historic flair at Caffè Tommaseo. We enjoyed a breakfast of “Cappuccino e cornetto” – it doesn’t take much to make us happy.

The best pizza in Trieste

Been here several times – and always loved it! The modern pizzeria called “Al Civicosei” is definitely worth a visit. The pizzas here are excellent and the service staff is incredibly friendly.

You must try the Pizza Norma – it’s heaven! We also enjoyed the Vino Frizzante of the house. Price wise, the Al Civicosei is definitely affordable. The cheaper pizzas cost between 8 and 13 euros.

Our tip: Be sure to make a reservation or be there very early so that you can get a spot. The pizzeria is extremely popular. In summer you can sit outside in front of the pizzeria.

---

Disclaimer: Affiliate Links

This travel guide contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something via the links, we will get a small commission. For you, this does not change the price. Cool thing, right? Many thanks to the Hotel Victoria for the invitation and thanks to the friendly staff – we felt very at home!

Have you ever been to Trieste or would you like to spend a weekend in Trieste? Leave us a comment below this travel guide, we look forward to reading it!

M