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

On nearly any listing of must-see locations in Italy, Trieste isn’t often within the prime 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 just some kilometers broad and surrounded on two sides by Slovenia. For greater than 500 years, it was one of the strategically necessary cities for the Habsburg Dynasty, and later, a vital seaport for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Throughout the Chilly Battle, 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 heart.

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

Finest Resorts & 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 contemporary 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 might by no means have afforded such posh digs.

Savoia Excelsior Palace

Rooms at Savoia Excelsior Palace, first opened in 1911, can really feel just a little 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 principle 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 flats for hire, 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 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 a number of other eating places and bars.

Finest Issues to Do

Tour Miramare Fortress.

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 placing white stone fort comprises its authentic furnishings and paintings, together with the archduke’s research, designed to resemble a wood 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 thought 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 seemingly comply with their authentic Roman structure. Residence to a Roman theater, charming litle cafes, outlets, and guesthouses, the Città Vecchia is a fantastic 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 fast space and all through the Mediterranean. However in accordance with British author William Cook dinner, “The primary 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 considered the founding father of contemporary 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.

Take pleasure in people-watching on Europe’s grandest piazza.

Ringed by neoclassical and Liberty-style buildings, Piazza Unita d’Italia is extensively considered one of the 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.

Finest Eating places & Cafes

Buffet da Pepi

Vegetarians, or anybody who’s not within the temper for a heaping plate of boiled meat, may 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 exterior the middle for comforting goulash and different delicacies in a sublime, 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 selections 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, 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 accordance 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 residence within the well-preserved Artwork Nouveau inside.

Finest Time to Go to

Grey calls winters in Trieste “gloomy in the absolute best means,” however guests not within the temper for chilly, windy days will do finest 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 should definitely e book your lodge effectively prematurely for those who 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.

Methods to Get There

Trieste will be reached by prepare, airplane or automotive. 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 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.

Methods to Get Round

A lot of Trieste’s historic heart, 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 Fortress. Delfino Verde additionally provides seasonal ferry service. Taxis are available in Trieste, and you’ll name them by way of Radio Taxi Trieste or the Uber app.

It’s not essential to have a automotive to discover Trieste, although a rental could turn out to be useful for reaching suburban areas or venturing into neighboring Slovenia or Croatia. In any other case, for those who drive to Trieste, you’ll seemingly be capable to park your rental automotive and persist with exploring on foot or by way of public transportation.