Trieste

Trieste is done on foot in one packed day, from a square facing the sea to a castle on the hill above the city, while a second day carries a trip: a cave underground, a neighbouring fishing town, or crossing the border into Ljubljana. Until 1918 the city was the main port of Austria-Hungary, and that layer still shows in the façades along the canal and the square.

The walk starts on Piazza Unità d'Italia, the largest square in Europe facing the sea: three sides are closed off by Austro-Hungarian palaces, while the fourth stays open to the Adriatic. A few steps away is Molo Audace, a stone pier that runs deep into the bay, free to enter, like the square itself.

North from the square a short walk leads to the Canal Grande, a narrow city canal lined with moored boats, closed off at its end by the church of Sant'Antonio Nuovo. A few streets further, in the former Jewish quarter, stands the Synagogue of Trieste — entry is by guided tour only, on a set schedule, €7.

From the old core the path climbs towards San Giusto hill. The castle on top mixes a Venetian fortress with a medieval complex, and its ramparts look out over the whole gulf. Entry is €7, open daily; closed 25 Dec and 1 Jan, shortened hours until 14.00 on 24 and 31 Dec.

Back in the centre, the Revoltella Museum joins a neo-Renaissance palace with a modern wing into one collection of 19th- and 20th-century Italian art. Entry is €7, closed Tuesday. A short walk away is Caffè San Marco, a literary café once frequented by Italo Svevo and James Joyce, from €1 (coffee at the counter).

The rest of the city is left for a second day. The Risiera di San Sabba, a former rice-husking plant the occupying forces turned in 1943 into Italy's only Nazi extermination camp, is now a memorial with free entry, open 1 Mar–11 Oct: daily 9–19; from 12 Oct: daily 9–17. On the other side of the city, on a hill, the Victory Lighthouse looks out over the whole gulf, entry free, open 3 Apr–4 Nov, seasonal and weekends, last entry 30 min before closing.

Trieste has its own airport, Ronchi dei Legionari (TRS), from where line 51 bus (APT/TPL FVG), direct to the centre runs 45–50 min to the centre, for €4.50. From the centre everything is within walking distance, so city transport is needed only for the second day's trips.