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

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

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

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

Fashionable Trieste is a mixture of its previous—half Italian, half Slavic-Slovenian, and half Austrian-German. And whereas town’s geopolitical significance might have pale, its deepwater port is more and more attracting massive cruise ships which have been banished from Venice, positioned roughly two hours southwest. Which means an increasing number of 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 ensure that to seize your seat at a sidewalk cafe earlier than they’re all taken.

Greatest Motels & 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 fashion. The James Joyce Suite pays tribute to the Irish novelist, who spent a lot of his grownup life and his most efficient years in Trieste—even when he may by no means have afforded such posh digs.

Savoia Excelsior Palace

Rooms at Savoia Excelsior Palace, first opened in 1911, can really feel slightly 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 unique 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 after I stayed at this cozy hole-in-the-wall lodge inside strolling distance of all the primary sights.” 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 affords easy accessibility to town, although it’s tempting to only 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 Fortress.

Earlier than he sailed off to Mexico, the place his short-lived reign as Emperor Maximilian I led to 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 placing white stone fort comprises its unique furnishings and paintings, together with the archduke’s examine, designed to resemble a picket ship’s inside. Our guided tour introduced the fort and the tales of Ferdinand and his bride, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, to vivid life. The in depth, 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 slender streets which probably observe their unique Roman format. Residence to a Roman theater, charming litle cafes, outlets, and guesthouses, the Città Vecchia is a high quality base for exploring Trieste.

Dig into Winckelmann’s legacy.

There’s quite a bit to unpack at Museo d’Antichità J.J. Winckelmann, Trieste’s important archaeological museum, which comprises artifacts from the rapid space and all through the Mediterranean. However in keeping with 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 extensively thought to be the founding father of recent archaeology. Winckelmann was passing by means of 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 extensively thought to be one of the crucial lovely in Europe for its grand dimensions and dramatic seaside setting. By day, you’ll be able to 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 live shows 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. Nevertheless it’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 effectively well worth the cab fare to enterprise outdoors 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 quite a bit contemplating how a lot Italians love their java. Caffè degli Specchi, positioned proper on Piazza Unita d’Italia, affords 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 keeping with 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 house within the well-preserved Artwork Nouveau inside.

Greatest Time to Go to

Grey calls winters in Trieste “gloomy in the absolute best method,” 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 the start of October and entails hundreds of sailboats of all sizes. You’ll want to e book your lodge effectively upfront in case 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, refill with sunseekers.

Find out how to Get There

Trieste might be reached by prepare, aircraft or automotive. Trenitalia regional and high-speed trains from Venice journey at the very least 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 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.

Find out how to Get Round

A lot of Trieste’s historic heart, in addition to the Città Vecchia, is walkable. Town is served by an intensive bus community operated by Trieste Trasporti, which additionally affords ferry service to factors alongside the shoreline, together with Miramare Fortress. Delfino Verde additionally affords 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 automotive 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, in case you drive to Trieste, you’ll probably have the ability to park your rental automotive and persist with exploring on foot or through public transportation.