Trieste
Discover Trieste
Trieste (Triest in German, Trst in Slovenian and Croatian) is a city in North-East Italy that was once a very influential and powerful centre of politics, literature, music, art and culture under Austrian-Hungarian dominion. Today, Trieste is often forgotten as tourists head off to bigger Italian cities like Rome, Milan, and Trieste's archrival Venice. But those tourists miss out on a very charming and underestimated city, with a quiet and lovely almost Eastern European atmosphere, several pubs and cafes, some stunning architecture and a beautiful sea view. It was also, for a while, the residence of the famous Irish writer, James Joyce.
What to Experience in Trieste
Taste of Trieste...
The cuisine of Trieste reflects the living traditions of the many populations that have passed through the city over the centuries. In the city's restaurants, called "buffets", you can find delicious examples of the local Austrian and Slavic tradition. Coffee has been an important part of Trieste since the 1700s. Some of the most famous caffè, known as much for their famous patrons as their food and drink, include: Locals usually enjoy coffee at the bar in the form of a capo in B, a small cappuccino (kind of like a macchiato but with more milk and foam) served in a glass cup. This is a unique kind of coffee only served in Trieste. The helpful tourist information in Piazza Unita can provide you with a list of accommodation and will even make bookings for you. They also have free maps. Trieste has long been Italy's safest city (possibly due to being a border city and, therefore, formerly being full of border police and other security services), and according to an increasing number of reports, the city ranks among the safest in Europe. There are very few problems with regards to walking the streets at night, taking taxis or pickpocketing. Obviously, normal precautions should be taken and like elsewhere in Italy be careful of drivers who tend to think that they own the road.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options45.827513.4722221 Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport (TRS ) (33 km (21 mi) north of the city centre). A regional airport hosting flights from various Italian and European cities. The airport is just off the A4 Trieste-Venice motorway (Redipuglia exit). Long and short-stay car parks are available. Transport options include: Nearest major airports are Venice Marco Polo & Venice Treviso. From either airport, take the Fly Bus - express service to Mestre railway station (€10) and get on the regional train from Mestre railway station to Trieste Central Station (2 hours, €14-29). Other nearby airports (less than 2 hours from Trieste by private or public transport) include Ljubljana (Slovenia), and Pula & Rijeka (both in Croatia). The more adventurous and leisurely travelers can also use Zagreb Airport (Croatia), Klagenfurt (Austria), and Verona (Italy), all of which can be reached by car. Local routes include Udine, Grado and San Candido/Innichen. At the 45.6570813....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Like most of Europe, a stroll through the town to admire its ancient architecture is a very popular activity. You get to travel at your own pace and even get some coffee along the way. Trieste is not particularly big and if you do not have luggage with you there is no need to take a bus. Trieste has a network of buses whose schedules are generally accurate on Google Maps. Timetables are also available on the web. Routes are frequent through the day but rarer after 21:00 in the evening, on Sundays and holidays. Many bus stops have a screen showing live bus times for that stop. On Wednesday (not during summer), Fridays and Saturdays between 22:00 and 04:00 a "bus on demand" service is active for 2€ per person per route which can be booked through the "TS on Demand" app. Strikes occasionally affect buses but Trieste is a small city and most places of interest can easily be reached on foot.
Where to Stay
The helpful tourist information in Piazza Unita can provide you with a list of accommodation and will even make bookings for you. They also have free maps. Trieste has long been Italy's safest city (possibly due to being a border city and, therefore, formerly being full of border police and other security services), and according to an increasing number of reports, the city ranks among the safest in Europe. There are very few problems with regards to walking the streets at night, taking taxis or pickpocketing. Obviously, normal precautions should be taken and like elsewhere in Italy be careful of drivers who tend to think that they own the road. Partially as a result of its geographic location, Trieste finds itself smacked in the middle of many migrant routes from the Middle East to the rest of Europe, and the main railway station has made headlines for attracting hordes of dodgy and suspicious-looking individuals.
Money & Budget
During the 1970s and 1980s Trieste was the number one shopping destination for tourists from Yugoslavia. The cuisine of Trieste reflects the living traditions of the many populations that have passed through the city over the centuries. In the city's restaurants, called "buffets", you can find delicious examples of the local Austrian and Slavic tradition. Coffee has been an important part of Trieste since the 1700s. Some of the most famous caffè, known as much for their famous patrons as their food and drink, include: Locals usually enjoy coffee at the bar in the form of a capo in B, a small cappuccino (kind of like a macchiato but with more milk and foam) served in a glass cup. This is a unique kind of coffee only served in Trieste.
Language & Talk
The region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is officially quadrilingual (Italian, Slovene, Friulian, and German). Signs are often only in Italian in Trieste, as the city is generally Italian speaking and the local dialect (a form of the Venetian language) is called Triestine. Surrounding villages and towns are often inhabited by mostly Slovene speakers. Residents, and those working in the city, can easily find free courses to learn Italian, Slovene, German, English and many other languages. When walking around Trieste, you will also likely hear Croatian/Serbian, Romanian, and Albanian, mainly from immigrant populations (most immigrants in Trieste come from the Balkans and Romania) and people who visit the city on brief shopping trips. 45.827513.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Trieste has long been Italy's safest city (possibly due to being a border city and, therefore, formerly being full of border police and other security services), and according to an increasing number of reports, the city ranks among the safest in Europe. There are very few problems with regards to walking the streets at night, taking taxis or pickpocketing. Obviously, normal precautions should be taken and like elsewhere in Italy be careful of drivers who tend to think that they own the road. Partially as a result of its geographic location, Trieste finds itself smacked in the middle of many migrant routes from the Middle East to the rest of Europe, and the main railway station has made headlines for attracting hordes of dodgy and suspicious-looking individuals. Simply avoiding eye-contact and looking sure about where you're going is enough to avoid trouble.
Glimpses of Trieste
a river running through a city next to tall buildings
A river running through a city next to tall buildings
Miramare Castle
a group of people standing on a pier next to a body of water
high-angle photography of houses near beach
people standing beside body of water and buildings during daytime
a large white building sitting on top of a lush green hillside
people standing on concrete dock
A statue of a man standing next to a body of water
a group of people sitting around a fountain in front of a building
a river running through a city next to tall buildings
A river running through a city next to tall buildings
Miramare Castle