After the cool and monumental passages of the Postojna Cave, we returned to the sunlight and headed towards the Italian border by car. Our destination was Trieste, where my partner and I had arranged a date to meet over a real Italian coffee. As we rolled into the city, the unmistakable, elegant, yet salty sea air immediately hit me.
Trieste was already an important port in Roman times, under the name Tergeste, but its true golden age began when it placed itself under the protection of the Habsburgs in the 14th century. This decision determined its fate for centuries. Trieste became the most important sea gate of the Habsburg Empire, the center of the “Austrian Riviera”.
In the 18th century, Maria Theresa granted the city free port rights, which brought an incredible boom. It was then that the magnificent neoclassical city center that we can still see today was built. Walking through Piazza Unità d’Italia – the largest main square overlooking the sea in Europe – you feel as if someone had magically moved the buildings of Vienna to the Adriatic coast. Here, everything is about coffee, insurance companies and maritime trade.
After the storms of the world wars and border disputes, Trieste is now an exciting, multicultural Italian city, where Slovenian, Austrian and Italian influences create a unique mix. Today, it is famous not only for its port, but also for its scientific centers and, of course, its coffee culture – since it is from here that Illy coffee began its journey to conquer the world.
Of course, in addition to friendly conversation and coffee, practical tasks could not be left out. For us, Trieste is synonymous with purchasing real Italian ingredients, so we spent part of the afternoon in local shops. We thoroughly “stocked up” for the trip and the return home. Our basket has been filled with fine Italian pasta, intensely fragrant dried tomatoes, salami, parmezan, and of course several bottles of characterful, local olive oil.
As the trunk filled with these treasures, we already felt that this part of our trip would be unforgettable not only in terms of sight, but also in terms of taste.
At the end of the day, however, we said goodbye to the sea and Trieste, because our base was still in Slovenia. We headed back to our accommodation in Slovenia to rest from the fatigue of the journey. We knew we had to get up early, because our next and last stop was none other than the legendary Lake Bled.
