Trieste, Italy, Was Named One of many Greatest Locations to Journey in 2025

On nearly any listing of must-see locations in Italy, Trieste isn’t normally within the high 10. However one go to to this elegant metropolis, with its broad, palace-lined piazzas, spectacular literary chops, and engaging historical past, and also you’ll quickly see what the remainder of the world is lacking out on.

Going through the northernmost Adriatic Sea, Trieste is within the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area of Italy, set on a sliver of land only a few kilometers vast and surrounded on two sides by Slovenia. For greater than 500 years, it was some of the strategically necessary cities for the Habsburg Dynasty, and later, a vital seaport for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the course of the Chilly Conflict, Trieste’s location simply exterior the Iron Curtain made it a hotbed for espionage, defections, smuggling, and different worldwide intrigues.

The town has lengthy attracted artists, writers, and intellectuals, and a cerebral, film-noir-like vibe nonetheless pervades, particularly within the metropolis middle.

Fashionable Trieste is a mixture of its previous—half Italian, half Slavic-Slovenian, and half Austrian-German. And whereas the town’s geopolitical significance might have pale, its deepwater port is more and more attracting massive cruise ships which were banished from Venice, situated roughly two hours southwest. Meaning increasingly vacationers are discovering the subtle charms of this seaside metropolis. Journey + Leisure even named it one of many greatest locations to journey in 2025. So be certain to seize your seat at a sidewalk cafe earlier than they’re all taken.

Greatest Accommodations & Resorts

Grand Lodge Duchi d’Aosta

Trieste’s reigning five-star property, Grand Lodge Duchi d’Aosta, overlooks Piazza Unita d’Italia and options rooms and suites with a spot-on combine of recent and early Twentieth-century type. The James Joyce Suite pays tribute to the Irish novelist, who spent a lot of his grownup life and his best years in Trieste—even when he might by no means have afforded such posh digs.

Savoia Excelsior Palace

Rooms at Savoia Excelsior Palace, first opened in 1911, can really feel a bit business-like, says Florence-based editor Mary Grey. “However you actually cannot beat the port views from the suite balconies.” We love that the lodge retains so many authentic particulars, together with elaborate molded ceilings and an exuberant white stucco facade.

L’Albero Nascosto

“Triestini are heat and welcoming,” says Grey. “I discovered this on my first go to once I stayed at this cozy hole-in-the-wall lodge inside strolling distance of all the primary points of interest.” Household-run and set in a home from the 1700s, this intimate 10-room lodging has uncovered stone partitions and wood-beam ceilings. There are additionally 5 self-catering residences for lease, a few of which have balconies.

Tivoli Portopiccolo Sistiana Wellness Resort & Spa

Set about half-hour from Trieste, this seafront resort provides easy accessibility to the town, although it’s tempting to simply keep on property and benefit from the ample facilities, together with a European-style Purobeach membership with a number of swimming pools plus a spa, outlets, and several other eating places and bars.

Greatest Issues to Do

Tour Miramare Citadel.

Earlier than he sailed off to Mexico, the place his short-lived reign as Emperor Maximilian I resulted in entrance of a firing squad, Habsburg Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian oversaw the development of Castello di Miramare. Set on a dramatic promontory on the Gulf of Trieste, the hanging white stone citadel comprises its authentic furnishings and art work, together with the archduke’s research, designed to resemble a picket ship’s inside. Our guided tour introduced the citadel and the tales of Ferdinand and his bride, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, to vivid life. The intensive, wooded gardens are pleasant.

Discover historical Trieste within the Città Vecchia.

Trieste is understood for its grand Nineteenth-century structure, however its previous dates again a lot additional—to the second millennium B.C.E. The Città Vecchia, or Outdated Metropolis, is a medieval space constructed over older Roman ruins, on slim streets which probably observe their authentic Roman format. Dwelling to a Roman theater, charming litle cafes, outlets, and guesthouses, the Città Vecchia is a advantageous base for exploring Trieste.

Dig into Winckelmann’s legacy.

There’s loads to unpack at Museo d’Antichità J.J. Winckelmann, Trieste’s fundamental archaeological museum, which comprises artifacts from the instant space and all through the Mediterranean. However in response to British author William Cook dinner, “The principle draw is the eerie memorial to the person after whom it is named, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, a German artwork historian and archaeologist who’s broadly considered the founding father of recent archaeology. Winckelmann was passing via Trieste when he befriended a younger man, Francesco Arcangeli, who murdered him right here, for causes which stay unclear.” Winckelmann is buried at Trieste Cathedral.

Get pleasure from people-watching on Europe’s grandest piazza.

Ringed by neoclassical and Liberty-style buildings, Piazza Unita d’Italia is broadly considered some of the stunning in Europe for its grand dimensions and dramatic seaside setting. By day, you possibly can ogle yachts within the Gulf of Trieste and espy the distant Dolomites. Come night, sip a spritz or a prosecco in one of many elegant cafes fronting the piazza. Within the summertime, the piazza is the setting for concert events and different occasions.

Greatest Eating places & Cafes

Buffet da Pepi

Vegetarians, or anybody who’s not within the temper for a heaping plate of boiled meat, would possibly discover this historic eatery considerably difficult. But it surely’s a Trieste custom and typical of the Austro-Hungarian buffets that serve meat, meat, and extra meat, accompanied by pickles, sauerkraut, potatoes, and spicy mustard.

Antica Trattoria Suban

“For dinner, it’s nicely definitely worth the cab fare to enterprise exterior the middle for comforting goulash and different delicacies in a chic, old-world lodge setting,” says Grey of Antica Trattoria Suban. It’s been in the identical household since its 1865 debut, when the unique Suban used his lottery winnings to open a restaurant. Regardless of a meat-heavy menu, vegetarians will discover loads of decisions right here.

Caffè degli Specchi

Trieste is named the espresso capital of Italy, and that’s saying loads contemplating how a lot Italians love their java. Caffè degli Specchi, situated proper on Piazza Unita d’Italia, provides the quintessential coffee-drinking expertise in Trieste, with tufted chairs and vintage fixtures, plus espresso and different espresso drinks, pastries, and brunch fare served with a lot pomp and circumstance.

Antico Caffè San Marco

This Trieste establishment lacks the piazza views of the extra well-known Caffè degli Specchi, however in response to Grey, “the people-watching is equally wonderful, and there’s an entire bookshop inside.” James Joyce was a daily, and he and his contemporaries would nonetheless really feel at residence within the well-preserved Artwork Nouveau inside.

Greatest Time to Go to

Grey calls winters in Trieste “gloomy in the absolute best manner,” however guests not within the temper for chilly, windy days will do greatest to go to from late spring to early fall. The Barcolana, the world’s largest crusing race, takes place at first of October and includes hundreds of sailboats of all sizes. You’ll want to ebook your lodge nicely prematurely when you plan to go to throughout this era. In the summertime months, the usually chilly waters of the northern Adriatic Sea are heat sufficient for swimming, and seashores close to Trieste, particularly Barcola and Grignano, replenish with sunseekers.

Tips on how to Get There

Trieste may be reached by prepare, aircraft or automobile. Trenitalia regional and high-speed trains from Venice journey a minimum of as soon as an hour to Trieste, and the journey takes between two and three hours. Non-public high-speed service Italo additionally runs trains between Venice and Trieste.

Reachable by prepare from Trieste, Trieste Airport is about half-hour from the town, and welcomes flights from inside Italy and different factors in Europe. The closest airport with flights arriving from the U.S. is Venice Marco Polo Airport, a couple of two-hour drive from Trieste.

Tips on how to Get Round

A lot of Trieste’s historic middle, in addition to the Città Vecchia, is walkable. The town is served by an in depth bus community operated by Trieste Trasporti, which additionally provides ferry service to factors alongside the shoreline, together with Miramare Citadel. Delfino Verde additionally provides seasonal ferry service. Taxis are available in Trieste, and you may name them through Radio Taxi Trieste or the Uber app.

It’s not essential to have a automobile to discover Trieste, although a rental might turn out to be useful for reaching suburban areas or venturing into neighboring Slovenia or Croatia. In any other case, when you drive to Trieste, you’ll probably be capable to park your rental automobile and keep on with exploring on foot or through public transportation.