Saturday, July 16, 2011

TRIESTE

(includes Duino)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Chocolat – 15 Via Cavana (old city); 011-39-40-300-542; jewel in ancient district Città Vecchia (Old Town); vast assortment chocolate bars and pralines with different ingredients, such as cinnamon, hazelnut, pepper, and strawberry; in summer, great gelato; in winter, hot chocolate.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
La Voce della Luna – 72 Viale Miramare; 011-39-40-422-284; bad service; beautiful location.



HOTELS
Hotel Duchi d’Aosta – 2 Piazza Unita d’Italia; 011-39-40-760-0011; duchi.eu; Trieste’s best hotel; neo-Classical building; business-oriented and modernized; new thermal pool; Jacuzzi box showers in marble bathrooms; stylish wood furnishings and old-world charm at reception.
Hotel Residence L’Albero Nascosto – 18 Via Felice Venezian; 011-39-40-300-188; alberonascosto.it; charming and well-located.
Hotel Riviera & Maximilian’s – 22 Strada Costiera; 011-39-40-224-551; hotelrivieraemaximilian.com; seaside retreat since 1910; older half’s rooms have parquet floors, blue-tiled bathrooms, and carved wood furnishings with modern prints; in new half, rooms have balconies but no air-conditioning (shaded by cypresses, palms, and umbrella pines and cooled by Adriatic breezes); 1st floor rooms have terraces opening directly onto garden; those on side have less sea view but more greenery; Maximilian’s separate residence is 12 apartments, rented by week; modern, stylish furnishings in burnished steel and light wood tones, minimalist with vaguely Japanese-industrial look; hotel’s catwalk leads from panoramic terrace with umbrella-shaded tables to elevator tower down to 2 private beaches (2nd, which includes pools, is 5-minute coastal walk).
Savoie Excelsior Palace – 4 Riva del Mandracchio; 011-39-40-77941; savoiaexcelsiorpalace.starhotels.com/en; look at pictures on-line.
Urban Hotel Design – 4 Androna Chiusa; 011-39-40-302-065; urbanhotel.it; clean, modern, quiet; breakfast room has glass floor with exposed Roman ruins below.



RESTAURANTS
Buffet da Siore Rosa – 3 Piazza Attilio Hortis; 011-39-40-301-460; bustling, friendly sandwich bar that also serves hot meals.
Caffe San Marco – 18 Via Cesare Battisti; 011-39-40-371-373 or 011-39-40-371-173; founded in 1914; James Joyce and Italo Svevo met here for coffee and to discuss literature; closed Mondays.
Harry’s Grill – 2 Piazza Unita d’Italia (at Hotel Duchi d’Aosta); 011-39-40-760-0011; duchi.eu; tables on square.
Nero di Seppia – 23 Via Cadorna; 011-39-40-301-377; trattorianerodiseppia.com; modern and stylish; near Revoltella Museum; seafood.
Il Posto delle Fragole – 4 Via Guglielmo de Pastrovich; 011-39-040-578-777; coopfragole.it; for homemade pasta, after visit to rose gardens.
La Tavernetta – 2 Via della Madonna del Mare; 011-39-40-308-594; authentic and simple, 1-room, 5-table establishment.



SHOPPING
Chocolat – 15 Via Cavana (old city); 011-39-40-300-542; jewel in ancient district Città Vecchia (Old Town); vast assortment chocolate bars and pralines with different ingredients, such as cinnamon, hazelnut, pepper, and strawberry.



SIGHTS & SITES
Castle Duino – Duino Aurisina (Duino); 011-39-40-208-120; castellodiduino.it/eng.html; overlooks Trieste Gulf; dates back to 1389 (older castle, nearby, dates to 1100s), when Wallsee family commanded construction; at 19th Century’s end, became Thurn und Taxis (Czech branch) property; remains in family; Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso, Duke of Castel Duino, current owner, opens to public as museum and park; Rainer Maria Rilke wrote Duino Elegies in castle while visiting Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis (born Hohenlohe Princess).
Castle Miramare – Viale Miramare; 011-39-40-224-143; castello-miramare.it; castle and museum; stunning location (both in terms of landscaping and views).
Cathedral of San Giusto – 3 Piazza della Cattedrale; 011-39-40-309-362.
Museo Revoltella – 27 Via Diaz; 011-39-40-675-4350; museorevoltella.it; don’t miss dining room apparently covered in 24 karat gold and Giusepppe Tominz gallery.
Museo Sartorio – 1 Largo Papa Giovanni XXIII; 011-39-40-301-479; on 2nd floor, make sure to see 14th Century altarpiece; on 3rd floor, Tiepolo drawing collection; in basement, religious art.
Piazza Unita – town center.
San Giovanni Rose Garden (Roseto di San Giovanni) – 5 Via Edoardo Weiss (entrance points on Via Nicolò Bottacin, Via Guglielmo de Pastrovich, Via Alfonso Valerio & Via San Cilino); 011-39-040-399-7360; siit.eu/cercarose/index.php?procedure=roseto; located on former early 20th Century mental asylum; rose garden consists of 6K rose plants (3K different varieties including 1.1K hybrid teas, 300 floribundas, 800 old & wild roses, 250 climbers & ramblers, 150 ground covers & 350 shrubs.

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