Six things to do in Trieste

No trip to Trieste is complete without a visit to the majestic Miramare Castle. Dating back to the 19th century and rich in history, it’s built on a clifftop that looks straight out over the Gulf of Trieste. Visit this fairy-tale fortress as part of a Princess guided tour and you’ll also get to see the spectacular St. Giusto Cathedral and the Roman Theatre. If you fancy seeing more of the city’s castles (Miramare isn’t the only one!), along with tasting some local wine, book a spot on our Castles of Trieste and Wine Tasting excursion. What a delightful combination!

While Italy conjures up thoughts of pasta and pizza, Trieste’s food offering is a little more eclectic due to its geographical location near Slovenia and Austria. On the menu you’ll find dishes like jota, a hearty stew made with sauerkraut, beans, potato and pork, and gulasch alla Triestina, an Italian goulash, alongside spaghetti with fresh seafood, and pizzas laden with white truffle, only found in northern Italy and Istria.

Venice isn’t the only Italian city that boasts a Grand Canal. Built between 1754 and 1756, Trieste’s Canal Grande sits in the heart of town and can be crossed via two bridges and a pedestrian walkway. The waterway is a hub of activity, and nearby you’ll find buzzing restaurants and bars, several picturesque churches, and a life-size statue of Irish novelist and poet James Joyce, who spent many years living in Trieste.

At 223 feet, Trieste’s Victory Lighthouse (or Faro Della Vittoria) is one of the tallest in the world. Helping boats to navigate the Gulf of Trieste at night, it was completed in 1927, and also stands as a monument to honour those who died at sea in World War I. It’s free to enter, and once inside, you can either take the stairs or the lift to reach the top, where you’ll be rewarded with stunning panoramic views over Trieste.

The Italians love coffee, but the brown stuff is particularly cherished in Trieste. The city is the biggest coffee port in the Mediterranean, receiving beans from all over the globe and supplying cafés in eastern and northern Europe. Enjoy a capo Triestino (the city’s signature mini cappuccino, served in a glass) in Caffè Tommaseo, Trieste’s oldest café that dates back to 1825, or at Caffè degli Specchi on bustling Piazza Unità d’Italia, where James Joyce and Italian and Austro-Hungarian writer Italo Svevo used to hang out.

If you’re in the mood for an adventure, head just 20 minutes north of Trieste city centre to Grotta Gigante, which translates to ‘giant cave’ – and at 98.5m high and 167.6m long, this cavernous grotto really lives up to its name. Alternatively, venture across the border to Slovenia to visit the Postojna Caves as part of a Princess shore excursion. You’ll board a train on the world’s only double-tracked cave railway to explore a series of limestone caverns, plus a 16-metre-high pure white stalagmite called the Skyscraper, which is estimated to be 150,000 years old.