Have you thought about where to spend Easter? Of course, the first concern is what the weather will do. Trieste could be a city to visit at Easter.

Fortunately, the Meteorological Union of Friuli Venezia Giulia on its Facebook page informs us that the Burian II, expected from March 20 with a new wave of frost, is nothing but fake news, or yet another hoax. On their page they write: “We read and hear news in the media and on the web of another wave of frost that could affect Italy in the last days of the month, and even of a cool, rainy summer caused by the atmospheric warming of a few weeks ago. But … THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE FOR THIS, AND IN ADDITION IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT THE WEATHER THAT FAR IN ADVANCE. We find ourselves denouncing yet more nonsense whose sole objective is to discredit the meteorological profession.” Quoted from meteorologists.

“Anyway, we have the sea!” would be the answer of the Triestinos. The proximity of the sea has a softening effect on the climate, and thanks to the sea currents the weather does not remain the same for long and can change rapidly.

As a result, Trieste is the perfect place for a short vacation. Trieste allows you to have three in one: the sea, the city and the Karst.

THE SEA

If you love the sea, you mustn’t miss the promenade at Barcola that we describe HERE.

But in the city the sea also means the quays, with the glorious Molo Audace next to the largest square in Europe, Piazza Unità d’Italia.

On the quays, at the Salone degli Incanti – Ex Pescheria there is an exhibition of underwater archeology (open from 10 am to 7 pm). Opposite, in the imposing ex Magazzino Vini, you will find Eataly, where sipping an aperitif in front of the huge window onto the sea is an unmissable experience.

THE CITY

What to see and do in the city?

The literary hotel is lucky enough to be located behind the hill which houses the Castle and the Cathedral of San Giusto. The Castle is open on Easter days from 10am to 7pm, with the additional good news that on Sunday, April 1st, as on every first Sunday of the month, it is free. The Alinari Image Museum – an innovative and highly technological museum – is also located at the Bastione Fiorito del Castello where, until April 1st, the exhibition on contemporary Triestine and Slovenian photographers can be visited for just 3 euros.
The unmissable Miramare Castle and its park can also be visited free on Easter Sunday. It is open from 9am to 6.30pm.
At the Museo Revoltella, Trieste’s modern art gallery, there is an exhibition on the early twentieth century in Munich, Vienna, Trieste and Rome. The gallery is open every day from 10am to 7pm, and admission is free, even on April 1st.
A mandatory stop in Trieste is a visit to the Risiera di San Sabba, the only Italian concentration camp and national monument. It is open every day from 9am to 7pm.
Don’t miss a visit to the Castle of Duino, on the cliffs overlooking the sea.

THE CARSO

Trieste also includes the mountainous belt of the Karst, with its spectacular walks. In just 10 minutes you will be on the plateau, where we advise you to experience the typical Osmize, details HERE. You are sure to find San Pelagio and Samatorza open, and there you can eat among the olive trees.

Don’t miss a visit to the Giant Cave, the largest in the world. It is open on Easter Sunday and Monday from 9am to 5pm.

Alternatively, try a walk on the Napoleonic Way, starting from Opicina and ending at the sanctuary of Monte Grisa.

For more information, please ask at the hotel reception, who will provide you with the best tips on how to get there.

EASTER SWEETS

Easter also means sweetness, and Trieste, like most regions, has its own traditional desserts.

At Easter we eat Pinza, a soft and leavened bread, but not overly sweet; perfect with both salami and cheeses and homemade jams. According to tradition, the characteristic cross-cut, which helps the dough to rise, symbolizes the martyrdom of Christ. The shape of the Pinza also brings to mind the vinegar-soaked sponge that the Roman soldiers placed on Jesus’ lips.

The Titola has the shape of a braid, and recalls the nails used for the crucifixion; while a hard-boiled red egg inserted into the mixture reminds us of the stones of Calvary stained by blood dripped from the cross.

The delicious Putizza comes from the Slovenian tradition and is therefore more linked to the Karst area.

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What do Triestinos do in Spring?

Spring, as we know, is the happiest time of the year, and Spring in Trieste is certainly one of the most beautiful periods. The light, the warmth, the perfumes and the colours awaken the desire for open-air life, in the city as well as in the gentle heights of the Karst.

The Karst shines with a fresh green and blooms that invite long walks. After a cold winter, sometimes punctuated by the Bora, (the strong wind that is worth facing at least once in a lifetime) the outdoor tables of the many local restaurants return to life.

The Barcola promenade becomes again a destination not only for walks (from Bus number 6 in the Marina to the Castle of Miramare) but also for those eager for their first suntan.

Spring in Trieste is perfect for the romantic and for the lovers of nature. The Miramare Castle Park, with its hundreds of varieties of trees, is a wonderful labyrinth in which to get lost.

The Triestines come out of hibernation and repopulate their beloved Karst, which always hides new surprises even to those who know it well. The most fascinating destination is certainly the Giant Cave, which in 1995 earned its place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in the world.

But the least known destination for outsiders are the Osmize, which become a second home at weekends.

The Osmize are wine cellars in private houses where you can taste wines (not only) typical of the Trieste and Slovenian Karst plateau. The wines that are found in these cellars are usually the Vitoska and Malvasia (white) and the Terrano (red). In addition you can taste cheeses, salami, olives, eggs and home-made pickles. The Osmize are a meeting point to spend a few hours with your friends in an extremely convivial atmosphere.

The peculiarity of the Osmize lies in the fact that it exists only in the province of Trieste (continuing partly along the Slovenian coast) and derives from an old tradition dating back to Charlemagne, but set during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which allowed producers of local wine to sell their products directly from their homes for a period of 8 days. It is no coincidence that the word Osmiza comes from osem, which means eight in Slovenian.

Today as then, the Osmize are signposted by a branch on the side of the road that points to it. Nowadays the Osmize are not governed by the traditional eight days; the fun lies in losing oneself in the Karst, without knowing where to go, and in discovering new Osmize to visit.

Some are very special, facing the sea on the ridge overlooking the Gulf: the view goes beyond the horizon and on a clear day you can see the Croatian coast up to Punta Salvore.

Some are surrounded by greenery or in the middle of vineyards or olive groves. A particular pleasure is meeting the real people, the locals: families, groups of young and elderly people who live this ritual with simplicity and the desire to sing and be together typical of these convivial spaces. Nowadays there is a website to find out which Osmizas are open, but our advice is to follow your nose – lose yourself on the plateau in an Osmiza hunt. And your spring in Trieste will be coloured with flavours.

For more refined palates there are some excellent wine cellars that can be visited by appointment. Among the many, we recommend Kante, Zidarich, Lupinc, Bajta, Parovel or Skerk.

Once you arrive in Trieste and at the Victoria Hotel Letterario we will help you find the Osmiza or the wine cellar that suits you – just ask at the front desk.

Lorenzo Vidoni – General Manager

Month: March 2018

Easter in Trieste: things to see and do in the city and on the Karst