|
ON THE SHORES OF THE ADRIATIC SEA.
DISCOVERING ONE OF ITALY'S LARGEST PORTS AND A CITY WITH A SPECIAL HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL RESONANCE.
For about two centuries Trieste was the main port for the Austrian Empire and had one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse populations of any city on the continent. Later, in the 20th century, it became a bone of contention between Italy and Yugoslavia and a market for consumer goods for visitors from the other side of the Iron Curtain. Today it is a prosperous Italian city re-establishing itself in the centre of a new Europe.
Culture, atmosphere, and a particular middle-European charm make this city today an unicum of its kind. Declared a free port in the 1700s, an indispensable outlet on the sea for the Habsburg Empire, it soon became the destination of merchants, entrepreneurs and adventurers from all around the world, and began to acquire the characteristics of a true cosmopolitan city. Nestled between green hills, white cliffs and a clear-blue sea, Trieste is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy which has always been internationally acclaimed for its rich history and cultural heritage.
|
|
Day 1 : Miramare Castle
After the arrival and check-in, visit of famous Miramare Castle, home of Maximilian of Habsburg, younger brother of Franz Joseph, and his young wife Charlotte. The castle was built between 1856 and 1860 by the well-known architect Junker. Undoubtedly an enchanted palace, where each museum room is surrounded by an aura of romantic sadness. Return the Hotel and dinner.
Day 2 : Lipica
After Breakfast city tour with visit of the statue of Queen Elisabeth of Austria (Sissi). Opposite the railway station, this monument is a memorial of probably the best loved queen ever. The tour continues with the visit of the Austro-Hungarian military cemeteries near the village of Prosecco (Prosek), a burial place for hundreds of soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, in one of the most stricken areas by the massacre of World War I. Lunch in one of Trieste charming restaurants overlooking the Gulf.
Visit of the stables and the classical horse-riding school of Lipica founded as early as 1580 by archduke Charles of Styria, since then the breeding farm has been selecting white horses of pure Lipica breed, the noblest in the world. These horses have a black or brown coat at birth and become snow-white after 4/6 years. Their proud, almost regal, gait is in no way inferior to that of the Habsburg crowned heads who used to ride them. In the centuries of the Habsburg Empire these steeds were destined to the court of Vienna. Return to the Hotel and dinner.
Day 3 : Trieste
visit of the Mitteleuropa Mail and Telegraph Museum. The museum has been restructured as a historic post office!
Visit of Borgo Teresiano, the symbol of the renovation wanted by resolute Empress Maria Theresa, who transformed the city into one of the main sea-ports in Europe. Along the canal where the sailing ships moored. and which, at the time, stretched as far as the church in neo-classical style of S. Antonio Nuovo (1842 - arch. P. Nobile), there are buildings of rich entrepreneurs and traders, also in neo-classical style. Piazza Ponterosso, nearby, is named after the bridge that once joined the two banks of the canal. At the centre of the square there is a fountain which the inhabitants of Trieste have nicknamed "Giovannin", from the name of the S. Giovanni district. The water springs out in the middle of the piazza thanks to the restoration of the Roman aqueduct restored at Maria Theresa's times.
Lunch at one of the Mitteleuropean cafés and the buffet restaurants of Trieste where the jealously preserved warmth of Mitteleuropean tradition creates a unique atmosphere, typical of cities such as Vienna, Prague, Budapest - and Trieste. In the buffet restaurants, rich in tradition, you will find a world full of different flavours and aromas, mixed and blended together into one food & wine culture typical of Mitteleuropa.
In the afternoon, a spectacular 5-kilometre climb of Opicina (Op?ine) from the city centre to the Carso plateau, aboard a historical tram-car. A legacy of Habsburg times, it recently celebrated its hundredth anniversary. This is definitely the most typical means of transport of Trieste.
Return to the Hotel and dinner.
After dinner :
The Lipica Casino
to spend a night like a "king", among gambling tables and tinkling slot machines. One of the favourite pastimes of the Habsburg officers and their ladies, who spent the evenings, wearing elegant silk dresses, at the side of rigorous army generals. The Lipica casino, well-known for its hospitality, offers today's visitors, too, the opportunity of trying their luck.
Or
Trieste theatres
to taste the spirit of Mitteleuropa during the events taking place throughout the year! At the Slovensko Stalno Gledališ?e (Slovenian Repertory Theatre) an unforgettable cultural experience with Slovenian performances. The Rossetti Theatre offers an elegant atmosphere, while in the summer the VerdiTheatre organises the unique "operetta" festival - this, too, is Mitteleuropa.
Day 4 : Duino Castle and departure
after breakfast, visit of Duino Castle a 700 year-old medieval castle, built on a promontory overhanging the sea. The building is a collage of different architectural styles in a stunning setting, surrounded by a magnificent garden. Return to the Hotel and check-out.
City highlights:
- Ancient Roman remains and a pleasant old town
- The castle and the cathedral of San Giusto
- An elegent seafront with stunning neoclassical palazzi
- Piazza Unità d'Italia
- The cosmopolitan Theresian district
- Historical literary cafés
Attractions in the surroundings include:
- The imperial castle of Miramare
- The Tram of Opicina and the Carso highlands
- The Giant Cave
- The castle of Duino and Rilke's promenade
- Rosandra Valle
|
|
Our Hotel choices
Star Hotel Trieste
Recent renovation work has preserved the rigor and grandeur of the original archiecture, whilst incorporating refined, contemporary elements. The fitted boiseries along the walls, the marble flooring and the skylight in the lounge all give the hotel an unmistakable Mitteleuropean air that is in perfect harmony with the architectural tone of the city. It is hard to resist the charm of the Starhotels Savoia Excelsior Palace's restrained elegance and its unforgettable views of the Gulf of Trieste.
Grand Hotel Duchi d'aosta
Located in Piazza Unità d'Italia, Trieste's most impressive square that opens onto the sea, the 4-star hotel Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta offers luxury accommodation, a spa and old-world atmosphere.
At the Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta you can relax in the Turkish bath or in the hydromassage pool. A wide variety of beauty treatments and massages are available on request at an additional cost in the on-site spa. Grand Duchi d'Aosta is home to Harry's Grill, one of Trieste's most exclusive meeting points and restaurants. Enjoy the famous Duchi cocktail before experiencing high-class regional and international cuisine while admiring views of the square.
|
