Page 52 - Traveling 71 eng

TRIESTE
24 Hours
Trieste Cafés, the Adriatic, and blurred borders
By: Diego Ruiz-Gil - diegorg45@hotmail.es
Trieste is, above all, a city of borders. For centuries, it has been a crossroads—of encoun-
ters and clashes—between Italy, the Slavic world, and the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Its location, perched on the edge of the Adriatic and just a step away from Slovenia, gives
it an open, cosmopolitan, and melancholic character. To explore Trieste in a single day is to
delve into the memory of a Europe that once was, while discovering the pulse of a vibrant,
cultured, and surprising city.
Waking up to history and coffee
Morning in Trieste begins early, as befits an old port
town. The best option is to stay in the historic centre,
near Piazza Unità d’Italia—one of the largest squares
in Europe that opens onto the sea. From here, the city
unfolds with neoclassical and elegant façades, many of
them legacies of its imperial golden age.
Breakfast in Trieste is unthinkable without coffee. The
city boasts one of the strongest coffee traditions on the
continent. Caffè San Marco, opened in 1914, is a per-
fect starting point. Intellectuals such as Italo Svevo and
James Joyce once wrote and debated here. The coffee
menu is extensive and exacting, and the literary atmos-
phere permeates every corner, among dark wooden
columns and stacks of local newspapers. A cappuccino
and a brioche are all you need to start the day with ener-
gy and a hint of Central European nostalgia.
Stroll among palaces and canals
The first walk takes visitors through Piazza Unità d’Ita-
lia, with its monumental scale and historic cafés. Here
stands the City Hall, facing the sea, surrounded by faça-
des that evoke Vienna, Budapest, or Prague. Just a few
steps away, the Molo Audace juts into the Adriatic, offe-
ring one of the city’s best views—especially as the sun
begins to rise.
From there, the route continues toward the Borgo Tere-
siano district, crossing the Canal Grande, a small “Ve-
netian” waterway where 19th-century palaces and the
green dome of the Serbian Orthodox Church of San Spi-
ridione are reflected in the water. Bookshops and pastry
shops invite you to linger.
A short espresso on a terrace and a quick visit to the
church are enough to appreciate the city’s vibrant diver-
sity of faiths and cultures.
52 -