We fell in love with Trieste from the moment we arrived.

After a pleasant two-hour train journey from Venice, passing through villages, farmland and glimpses of the Italian countryside, we stepped into a city that felt completely different. Trieste has an understated elegance about it. It’s a thriving port city with grand architecture, wide open spaces and a relaxed confidence that immediately draws you in. I was hooked!

Trieste is the capital of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy, perched on a narrow strip of land between the Adriatic Sea and the Slovenian border. For centuries it served as the principal seaport of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and that legacy is still evident today. Italian, Austrian and Slovenian influences blend throughout the city, creating a unique character reflected in its architecture, grand squares, café culture and the contrast between its medieval old town and elegant Austrian quarter.

Perhaps that’s why Trieste feels unlike anywhere else in Italy.

2026 Update
Looking back, this was the first of many visits to Trieste. We didn’t know it then, but this elegant port city would become one of our favourite places in Europe, drawing us back again and again.

Our first stop was the waterfront. The vast stone promenade stretching out from Piazza Unità d’Italia seemed to invite lingering rather than rushing, making it the perfect place to sit for a while and watch the city go about its day.

Our first mission on arriving in Trieste was surprisingly simple: find a salad. After several days immersed in Venice’s pasta and pizza culture, we were craving fresh greens and a little crunch. The older we get, the more we appreciate the simple pleasure of vegetables.

View from The Hotel Continentale toward the port.

Looking down from our balcony, we could watch the city unfolding beneath us. People hurried here and there, cafés filled and emptied, and people went about their business at a steady pace. It was one of those views that captured what we love about Trieste – a city that feels both lively and relaxed at the same time.

Our first day, and the lure of a good view was too strong to ignore. We made our way uphill toward the higher part of the city. At the top, near the Roman ruins, the reward is a sweeping outlook over Trieste, the red and white of building, the city stretching out in layers between mountains, the docks and shipping industry and the water. It felt like the perfect way to get our bearings and take in just how beautifully placed this city really is.

Back to the water’s edge for lunch and a glass of wine at the Eataly Trieste.  Looking out over the marina was the perfect location.

A very interesting pizza indeed!   Loving the gold coloured paper plate – a stylish touch, although cardboard.  My inner Princess would have preferred real gold plated dinnerware 🙂

Proto Fiorito Focaccia – which translates to flowery meadow.

The Cathedral of San Giusto sits proudly on the hill of the same name, overlooking the remains of the ancient Roman city of Tergeste. It’s a scene of contrasts below – Roman ruins on one side, Jeff on his mobile on the other, trying to work out where we’re supposed to be going next.

Contemplating……

Need to practice the selfie…..

There was a fabulous fresh food market in the old town, where the air itself seemed to carry layers of flavour. Italian staples sat alongside Asian and Middle Eastern spices, creating an unexpected blend of aromas that drifted through the narrow streets. Baskets of fresh produce, dried herbs, and colourful spice displays made it impossible not to slow down and wander. The smell alone was incredible – warm, rich, and alive with the feeling of different cultures meeting in one place.

Only a couple of days here in this fabulous city, which was far too short a stay in hindsight, before we picked up our car and headed south into Istria in Croatia. We liked Trieste far more than we expected, and it stayed with us enough that we made a point of returning later in our trip for a longer stay.

Trieste, we’ll be back.

Jeff & Catherine