TriesteAfter Venice, Dave and I hopped on another train bound for Trieste! Trieste is a lesser-known destination in Northern Italy, but it was beautiful! My dad suggested it, and said that there would probably be fewer Americans there, and that it would be cheaper than most of the places we intended to visit. He was right on both accounts!Trieste feels a lot different than the other areas of Italy I have visited. It has changed governing bodies a lot throughout its history, and you can definitely feel the different influences. Austrian influences are very strong in the region. There is actually a big debate on whether the wiener schnitzel was truly invented in Austria, or if the Austrian’s got their recipe from the Trieste dish “cotoletta alla milanese.” I tried the cotoletta when I was in Trieste, and I must say, it tasted exactly like wiener schnitzel in Austria. I don’t think think we will ever truly know who invented it at this point, but I would recommend trying the dish!The hotel we stayed in was only a few minutes from the Piazza Unità d’Italia. This square is modeled after St. Mark’s Square in Venice, and it was neat to see the similarities. There isn’t a ton to do in the square like St. Mark’s Square, but it’s still beautiful to see (make sure to see it at night as well, it’s gorgeous lit up).On our first full day in Trieste, we took a ferry to the Castello di Miramare. This was a stunning castle built by the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Charlotteof Belgium (again, there are a lot of Austrian influences in Trieste). The Castle was so neat to explore! Dave and I did an audio tour of the inside, and then explored the exterior on our own. Definitely worth the extra 3 euros to do the audio tour. I feel like I develop a much greater appreciation for what I’m looking at when I know the significance of it from the audio tour. After our visit to the castle Dave and I had lunch and a lot of prosecco while we waiting for our ferry ride back to Trieste. The next day, Dave and I decided to explore Trieste’s “old city.” On top of the hill, about a 15 minute walk from our hotel, there was a beautiful old church and medieval castle. We explored the old city on our own, and decided to skip the tour of the inside of the castle (we were castled-out from the previous day).The rest of our time in Trieste was spend eating and drinking haha. We both decided that the best food was probably found in Trieste. The pizza and pasta was on point! I would definitely recommend this little town to anyone who has been to Italy before, and is looking for a hidden gem.Where we stayed: Savoia Excelsior Palace. This hotel was great, and definitely the cheapest we stayed in during our visit. It was in the heat of Trieste, so the location was ideal!What we ate: Again, everything, but be sure to try the cotoletta alla milanese, and decide for yourself who does it better: Austria or Trieste. Touristy things to do: Castello di Miramare – beautiful castle built on the sea by Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian. Old City – medieval castle and church located a few minutes from downtown Trieste. Piazza Unità d’Italia – popular square modeled after St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
