Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Trieste
A Habsburg port with grand cafés on the edge of Slovenia.
A Habsburg port on the edge of Slovenia, where Italian, Austrian and Slavic worlds meet: a vast sea-facing square, grand old cafés, a Roman hilltop and a moody, literary feel. A natural gateway to the Balkans.
Places to see
- Piazza Unità d'ItaliaSight · A huge square open on one side to the sea, lined with grand Habsburg palaces; walk out on…Free
Canal GrandeWalk · A short canal running inland from the sea, lined with cafés and moored boats, with a…Free
Cathedral of San GiustoChurch · A hilltop cathedral with a big rose window and golden apse mosaics inside; the terrace…Free
When to go
- Jan8° / 3°Some rainQuiet
- Feb9° / 3°Some rainQuiet
- Mar13° / 6°Some rainQuiet
- Apr17° / 10°Some rainBusy
- May22° / 14°Some rainBusy
- Jun26° / 18°Some rainBusy
- Jul29° / 21°Mostly dryBusy
- Aug29° / 21°Some rainBusy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
The centre. Grand cafés and the Borsa square; easy for everything.
Borgo Teresiano. The Habsburg grid around the Grand Canal, near the station; good-value rooms.
Flying in
Trieste (TRS): Train to Trieste Centrale, about 35 min, ≈ A$7.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Trieste; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$2. The centre and seafront are walkable, though the old town climbs steeply. Buses cost about €1.40 (check); bus 6 runs out along the coast toward Miramare castle.
Tourist tax
Trieste's city tax: usually about €1.50–2 a person a night in hostels and B&Bs, more in hotels, for the first nights; under-14s don't pay. Paid at check-in (check).
Day trips
Venice, about 2 h by train. Canals and the lagoon.
