A trip to Trieste

I have been to Trieste twice to visit a close friend, who found a job there. It is a city unexpectedly beautiful, I didn't know nor I have never heard its beauty. It is surrounded by different countries and it has many aspects of foreign cities as it is very tidy and clean. The people there are very kind and social. Since my friend works during weekdays, we stayed together only on the weekend, so I went around the city alone, but without facing any difficulties.

What to see

You can see the centre comfortably by walk in a few hours. Cross the Canal Grande and say hi to James Joyce, in fact here you find a statue in commemoration of the writer, who loved a lot this city.

You could admire the Palazzo della Borsa and walk through the streets to get to the famous Piazza Unità d'Italia and to the Molo Audace.

This huge square has a special beauty, both during the day and at night time. Now, that I have been to Lisboa, it reminds me a lot of Praca do Commercio. This square is framed by luxurious and classy restaurants and coffee shops where tourists stop to taste Trieste's specialities. Don't miss out the spritz as it is original from this city. There are plenty of clothes shops in the centre where you can shop as well as craft shops and local grocers. To discover varied food products, enter in some bakeries or butcher's, it will be a new discovery! From the centre, you can easily reach some places to visit, including the Church of San Giusto which is on a hill and it can be reached by going up against some proper steep hills.

Another place that should not be missed out is Opicina, you could reach this small town by tram. There is almost nothing, except from a small coffee shop and some beautiful small houses. You could go there for a walk and admire the beautiful view of the city. Even the tram's route reminds me a lot about Lisboa as it goes past a steep hill which is surrounded by a green forest.

Miramare is a beautiful castle on the sea. It cannot be missed and you will be amazed. The inside of the castle are fully decorated with different styles and its story, which can be read, inside is really interesting.

The park surrounding the castle is big and I walked around almost all of it on the day I went to visit the castle.

It can be reached by taking a bus from the centre of the city and then you walk for a bit. You also need to walk outside the sea where there are so many restaurants and if you want, go for a swim at Barcola, like the proper locals. You will be shocked by the way they go to the beach as there is not one, people lie down on the promenade and if you walk down some small stairs, you could go for a swim. I found it very weird, yet I have been there more than once. The place is very nice because there is also a pine forest and some coffee shops where you can refresh yourself. My friend and I went to a coffee shop where you could buy small jug of Spritz and bring it to your towel.

If you want to go to the seaside, from the train station, take a bus different from the urban ones and get off at Filtri, where there is a real and proper small beach, which is usually very crowded. It is a few steps from there and it is a bit hidden. It is a naturist beach, very beautiful and the sea is very clean. However, the sea bottom is very rocky with some huge stones. Be careful of jellyfishes, I have seen a huge one with my eyes.

Another castle, which I would say it cannot be missed, is the Duino Castle, which cannot be reached easily by bus, even though I did it, but it takes time and you need to be patient. It is a beautiful place. This castle was used a military base during World War II and in fact, there is a bunker, which can be visited.

From the castle, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the cliff overlooking the sea.

Local food

Try the speciality in a Osmiza, which offers cured meats and cheese and home-made products made from the same owners. My friend and I went there during an event called Sofar Sound, they are secret concerts and free of charge, even though they request for voluntary contributions and its location is revealed only the day before the event. We have been to an Osmiza with a spectacular view.

One night I went out with my friend to eat some typical food from Trieste and it seemed a bit heavy for me. We tasted some slices of ham often with horseradish sauch on top. And the second course consisted of meat.

Events

One night we have been to an Irish festival, which takes place in a wooded area and in the middle of nature. There are many varied food and object stalls. It is like a sort of festival with a varied range of Irish food, so beer is a must. An Irish band played bagpipes and drums in rhythm. The members of the band were wearing kilts and the performance was beautiful. After this sound and symphony performance, we assisted to a performance of a fire-eater.

After this festival, we moved to te centre and we went to the Ausonia, a very nice disco, which is on a dam and it can be reached by taking a boat from Molo Audace. Nice music and a marvellous view of Trieste from the seaside.

How to get to Trieste

Once I went there by train from Genoa and it takes five hours and half with a change in Milan and the second time, I took FlixBus, which is definitiley cheaper than the train, but the journey is longer, it is nearly eight hours (I payed 40 euros for a return ticket from Genoa to Trieste, whereas the train was 140 euros). My friend usually takes BlaBlaCar.