Harbour cities. Sea of attractions

In the next edition of our tour of the most attractive port cities, let's move from the Baltic or North Sea ports to slightly warmer regions. To add a touch of summer to the winter edition of our ‘M Magazine’, we will take you to Italy's most important commercial port on the Adriatic - Trieste.

Before taking a closer look at this charming city and its sights, let's focus on the port itself, the city's gateway for those arriving by sea. The Port of Trieste is the work of the Habsburgs who ruled here from 1382 to 1919. The Free Port of Trieste was founded by Austrian Emperor Charles VI in 1719 and was strongly developed by his daughter Maria Teresa who considered Trieste as the only port of the empire. Over the centuries the port had a reputation as one of the most prosperous Mediterranean seaports. The port city was well connected by modern railroad lines to the main cities of the Balkans and to the southern lands of the empire. Trieste was for centuries the main hub connecting the Habsburg Empire with the ports of India or China. In 1920, with the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the port of Trieste was annexed to Italian territory. During World War II, the city and the fascist-run port suffered from Allied bombing raids. The post-war period saw its renewed development. Today, the port of Trieste specializes in the handling of container units, with a throughput of over 1,000,000 TEU.

However, let's leave the harbor quays behind. Trieste is a multicultural city that lies adjacent to Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, offering a combination of historic cafes, art, and heterogeneous architecture woven into the Adriatic coastline.

Trieste's main attractions are centered around the city's main squares, where you can find grand buildings and pubs, but also observe the bustling city. Everything is arranged in an almost perfect setting of wide streets and squares facing the Adriatic Sea. The heart of Trieste is the Canale Grande, a wide basin that stretches deep into the city and reflects the colors of the elegant buildings that line its shores.

Enjoy an overview of some of Trieste's sights.

Piazza Unita d’Italia

The heart of the city is the most beautiful and symbolic of all its squares, the Piazza Unità d'Italia. The buildings surrounding it perfectly sum up Trieste's history, including the Art Nouveau government building, the Assicurazioni Generali building and the Lloyd Triestino building, as well as the City Hall, which was the last to be built. Piazza Unità d'Italia is the main square of Trieste but it is also the largest square in Europe open to the sea. The square was completely renovated between 2001 and 2005, and a lighting system with blue LEDs was installed on the sea side to commemorate the ancient mandracchio (a small sheltered harbor designed to moor small boats and fishing vessels), which was completely buried in the mid-XIXth century.

Piazza della Borsa

Piazza della Borsa is the second main square in Trieste, located right next to Piazza Unità d'Italia. Throughout the XIX century it was the economic center of the city. An important element of its space is a Greek temple style building from 1806 built by the architect Antonio Mollari. The etymology of the name of the square derives from this building. Today, it is one of the most important examples of Trieste's neoclassical monuments. The square serves as the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Trieste, and it is called ‘Borsa Vecchia’, which translated means ‘Old Exchange’. The square also features: a stone column that supports the figure of Austrian Emperor Leopold I, Neptune's Fountain, the new stock exchange building - Dreher Palace, Rusconi House, Steinfeld Palace and many others.

Audace Pier

The Audace Pier, formerly the San Carlo Pier, is a place close to the heart of Trieste residents. This walkway extending for about 200 meters into the sea, is a magical place for strolls and a breath of fresh air at any time of the day or year. Originally, the pier was 95 meters long, connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge. Gradually, it was extended and now measures 246 meters. Although at first glance the concrete pier does not stand out with anything special, it is still an excellent walking point. In the evenings, both tourists and locals like to sit on it. Audace pier is also a good vantage point and a place to take panoramic pictures of Trieste's seaside buildings.

Castello di Miramare

Another place worth visiting during your stay in Trieste is the Miramare Castle. The structure was built between 1856 and 1870 on the tip of a rocky cape, right on the coast. ▶ This majestic white castle is located in a beautiful setting, surrounded by a huge park full of rare and exotic species of trees. It was built for Archduke Maximilian of Austria and his wife Charlotte, who fell in love with the view of the small bay. The couple lived there for less than 4 years before they left for Mexico, where Maximilian was crowned emperor and died shortly thereafter. Legend has it that Charlotte, grieving wife, still wanders the park calling his name.

Muzeum Revoltella

The Revoltella Museum of Modern Art presents a rich selection of artworks from the XIX and XX centuries. It is located in the city center, a short distance from the sea. It was founded in 1872 by Baron Pasquale Revoltella, one of the most representative figures of XIXth century Trieste society. The elegant Neo-Renaissance building of the museum was built between 1854 and 1858, designed by Friedrich Hitzig. On summer evenings, besides admiring the magnificent works of art gathered in the interior, you can spend time in the museum's café. In addition, on the roof of the building there is an observation deck, which offers a beautiful panorama of the city, overlooking the harbor and the Adriatic Sea.

Wzgórze San Giusto

San Giusto Hill (Colle di San Giusto) is the historical center of Trieste. You can find there Roman ruins and the place where the city has its roots. The history of the hill is as long ▶ as the history of Trieste itself. The Cathedral of San Giusto which is the main Catholic religious building in the city is located on the hill. Right next to it is a XVth century fortress built on the ruins of a Venetian castle, the Castello di San Giusto. The hill itself is quite an attraction - it offers a beautiful view of the city and the sea.

We do believe that we managed to convince you to get to know this charming city better. In the next edition we will also stay in slightly warmer regions. From Italy we will travel to Portugal.