Trieste is inherently tied to Vienna. Having been under Austrian rule since as far back as 1382, when the main citizens of Trieste in petitioned Leopold III of Habsburg, Duke of Austria in order to become part of his domains. Subsequently Trieste gained wealth and importance as the port city of the consolidated Austrian Littoral. It became little Vienna on the…
The Greek community has had a healthy presence in Trieste since Charles VI declared Trieste a free port in 1719, opening the city up to trade and the establishment of many different ethnic communities within the city. Still today there are many families of Greek heritage in Trieste and they continue to play an important…
In Trieste, every season and holiday has its “must-haves” sweets, whether it’s Titola for Easter, Gnocchi di Susine to mark the end of summer or Fave dei Morti in the Fall. Christmastime is no different and holiday tables will be laden with a variety of baked goods. Here are the desserts that you will surely find at a typical Triestine Christmas:…
Silvia Rossi is a wisp of a woman whose creativity bubbles, breaking the surface and it is barely contained by the walls of her tiny atelier at the foot of Castello San Giusto in Trieste. I first met her on a freezing cold winter day at a market organized by Barbacan Produce (a group of…
Just behind the Ospedale Maggiore there is a little oasis, it is l’annaffiatoio. This small flower shop carries a surprisingly large selection of all natural and high quality plants with a sort of “shabby chic” vibe. Owned by Luisa Cividin, the shop has been around for over 30 years. Luisa’s mom started the shop…
Trieste’s public transportation includes a very efficient and environmentally friendly bus service and ferry service (Delfino Verde). Recently added to Trieste’s system is the new HopTour bus service. Many tourists who visit Trieste don’t often rent cars, and yet several of the sightseeing hotspots are not located in the downtown area. Here’s where HopTour comes…
Le Fave dei Morti (“The Fava Beans of the Dead”) sounds particularly well-suited to this time of year, now that we’re coming up on Halloween and the Giorno dei Morti, or Day of the Dead. Each year, starting in October, piles of pink, white and brown round treats fill the windows of the local bakeries.…
For those of you thinking you’ll be missing the rich fall foliage display customary in the US in the fall, you are in for a surprise — the Carso, also known as the Altopiano Carsico or Karst, offers a color show of its own. Largely limited to the change of the Sumac’s leaves, the pop…
For a short period of time every year, every store is stocked beautiful blue and purple plums! Find out how they are part of the Trieste cooking tradition on bestoftrieste.com
Trieste fashion is very understated. Of course, there are the “suits” (mostly employees of the two large insurance firms in town, Generali and Allianz) and then the old guard, a squadron of elderly ladies who are meticulously attired with matching handbags and shoes in toney shades of browns, blues and greys. But mostly, people are…
Just north of Trieste, next door to Opicina, lies the town of Monrupino (Repentabor in Slovenian *). It is marked by the Sanctuary of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin which can be seen perched atop the hill overlooking the Karst. This is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike as, from here, you…
Trieste is one of those cities that is beautiful to look at; the stunning blue of the sea, the packed marinas, the amazing Piazza Unita’ facing the open gulf, the ornate Viennese style architecture — everywhere you look it seems, there is something new to see and that instantly piques your curiosity. One day, as…
Often referred to as the “lungs” of the city, Trieste’s parks and gardens offer pleasant refuge from the dog days of summer and lovely displays of color in spring and fall. Trieste’s main gardens prominently featuring botanical specimens are: The Civico Orto Botanico: Established in 1842 the city-run botanical garden is a small but lush…
Parco di San Giovanni originally housed the psychiatric hospital of Trieste which was established in 1908. The goal was to build a “modern and free” oasis in the center of the city where patients could live a life within the “open door system” in the serenity of the Park — creating an environment where many…
Springtime in the region brings with it the bounty of wild herbs and edible plants, among them, the much awaited ”Sclopit” or Silene Vulgaris, a wild green that grows almost everywhere. The name Sclopit is derived from a childhod game when children would pick the flowers and pop them between their palms making a little…
