Trieste, squeezed between the Adriatic Sea and the high limestone plateau bordering Slovenia, is not the first Italian city travellers would think of when planning a trip to Italy. Many of them pass nearby Monfalcone if they travel by train from Ljubljana to Venice, but few of them get off and take a short, half an hour ride to Trieste.
Trieste, after all, has always been just a border town and border towns usually aren't very exciting. However, take a leisurely stroll around Trieste and you might change your mind. It's precisely the Trieste's location between East and West and the Adriatic Sea that gave the city its unique character, a blend of Austro-Hungarian and Mediterranean architecture, Eastern-European melancholy and Italian dolce vita spiced-up by the immigrants from Africa and as far as China.
Trieste has a bunch of historical buildings, museums and galleries, but nothing to compare with famous galleries in other Italian cities, such as Uffizi or Academia in Florence. Perhaps the most visually stunning place in Trieste is Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia, the central square at the shore of the Adriatic Sea, flanked by richly decorated 18th and 19th century buildings on three sides. Other parts of Trieste are by no means ugly, but they take time to appreciate. Imperial Austro-Hungarian buildings create a sort of strict atmosphere mellowed down by the Italian temperament of the locals going about their daily routines which include a compulsory stop for a chat at their favourite café. Join them and get a cup of Illy for yourself. Trieste is after all the home of this world-famous coffee brand and trust us - Illy espresso tastes better in Trieste than anywhere else in the world.