What do you do when you’ve only got a few days to explore Trieste, once the imperial port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now a slightly faded but very lively city perched on the edge of the Adriatic?
Easy! You (1) visit as many of Trieste’s historic caffès as possible (& did you know that Illy coffee originated in Trieste, and that Francesco Illy, the founder, invented the predecessor of the espresso machine?); you (2) make a couple of literary pilgrimages—including a coastal walk—in search of Rilke, Joyce, Svevo, and d’Annunzio; and you (3) visit a couple of famous castles.
But I should also say just how wonderful it is to be back in Italy, even if only for a few days! The language is so much more musical than German, and people here are more demonstrative, more Mediterranean, whatever that might mean. And Italy also means access to Italian gelato, which is (of course) amazing! Delicious, fresh, and inexpensive, it’s also ubiquitous: there’s one street, just blocks from our hotel, with no fewer than six gelato shops, almost side by side.
A few more examples of the cultural changes we’ve experienced: Vienna had bicycles everywhere; here it is mopeds and motorcycles, with their high-pitched whine. In Vienna: people waited patiently for the light to change—in the middle of the night at deserted crosswalks. In Trieste: people dash across the street whenever they feel there’s an opening.
And here, on the edge of the Adriatic, there’s the scent of salt as you walk along, carried on light breezes coming off the water; and sunsets that stain the scattered clouds above, the colours doubled by the water’s surface.
Trieste’s historic caffès
As I mentioned just above the fold, Francesco Illy, the founder of Illy coffee, now a global brand, invented the predecessor of the espresso machine in Trieste in 1935. For this reason Trieste is seen by many as the place where our contemporary coffee culture truly began.
There’s an excellent article online which lists and reviews Trieste’s historic caffès and pastry shops; it even talks about the ones that have disappeared, thanks to redevelopment etc. We used this article to help prioritize which ones we’d visit, since you can only squeeze so many caffès into a few days. What follows is a gallery of photos from these visits. Luckily our residenza is quite central, and most of these caffès were no more than a few blocks from our door.
My personal favourite? The Caffè San Marco, in part because the caffè also has an excellent bookstore on the premises. We liked it so much that we’ll squeeze in a final visit to the Caffè San Marco for our last Italian coffee on the morning we leave Trieste for Ljubljana, the next stop in our invasion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
A walk along the Rilke Trail (and other literary pilgrimages)
On our second full day in Trieste we decided to walk along the Rilke Trail, a path which follows the karst clifftops from the town of Sistiano to Duino Castle, where Rilke composed the first of his Duino Elegies. Here are some photos from that walk, followed by some photos of Duino Castle itself.
Below are some images showing Duino Castle, its grounds and the interior, which displays many artifacts from Rilke’s time at Duino, and his friendship with Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis.
The Joyce Museum
As I noted elsewhere, James Joyce lived in Trieste for nearly 16 years, with his wife Nora and often with his brother Stanislaus. His children, Giorgio and Lucia, were born in Trieste. Joyce’s time in Trieste is documented in a small museum on a quiet back street in Trieste. The museum also documents the life and work of Trieste native son Italo Svevo, friend of Joyce and author of Zeno’s Conscience, also known as Confessions of Zeno.
Miramar Castle
On our way back from Duino Castle we stopped to visit Miramar Castle, which sits at sea level just west of Trieste. The castle was built from 1856 to 1860 for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, brother of Franz Josef, the emperor.
Danube to Dalmatia 
Coffee, pastries and literature. You must be in heaven.
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It definitely feels like I hit the trifecta… 😊
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Michael, your writing is eloquent and engaging. You are doing a wonderful job of sharing this experience with us. I envy your and Jean’s adventure.
With Love and admiration
Myra
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Hey there M! (from Other M) I’m glad to know you’re following along. Part of the fun for us had been sharing the adventures. Feels like it doubles the fun (or something). Sending our love back to you and the gang. M&J xox PS: how’s that ankle doing?
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