Trieste
This beautiful city deserves the title of Central Europe’s Crossroad, because through the time it has been a place where different cultures met.
The signs of these events are impressed in the buildings and in the landscape of this place. This mixture of cultures can be evident by considering the different places of worship: there is the Cathedral of St.Giusto (14th century) on the top of the hill having the same name, the Greek-Orthodox church of St.Nicolò with precious goldsmiths’ icons, the Serb-Orthodox church of St.Spiridione, and the Jewish temple, one of the largest synagogues in Europe. Many writers as Italo Svevo, James Joyce and Umberto Saba loved this cosmopolitan town.
Trieste is the city of the historical Cafès: Caffè San Marco, frequented by famous writers, and Caffè degli Specchi, on the square Piazza Unità and near the Palace of Common.
The city is known as the cradle of science: the International Centre of Theoretic Physics, the Scientific Laboratory of Synchrotron and the AREA Scienze Park are some world known institutions of Trieste.
The surroundings of Trieste are full of attractions:
-The castle of Miramare, was the residence of Maximilian of Austria, emperor Frank Joseph’s brother, and of his wife Carlotta.
-The Rilke Path, winding between Duino and Sistiana and dedicated to Rainer Maria Rilke who right here wrote his “Duino Elegies”.
-The Giant Cave is the largest natural cavity in the world, which is possible to visit. Its stalactites and stalagmites offer a spectacular effect.