Discovering Trieste: Unconventional Travel Wisdom from the Outer Edge of Italy

Understanding the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable.

The Piazza dell’Unita’ d’Italia in Trieste, as seen from the City Hall. (All photos taken or provided by author.)

On the Friday evening we arrived, the city was humming with people. We made our way to the sea-facing Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia just as the sun was setting over the water. And I instantly knew the rumors rang true: Trieste has the most beautiful piazza in all of Italy. That’s a phrase I’d heard many times over the years when people (Italians no less) talk about Trieste. And I finally got to experience it firsthand.

L: The Trieste City Hall; R: An open view of the Piazza dell’Unita’ d’Italia, facing the sea.

While I’ve been fortunate to travel all around Italy, I always delight in seeing a new part of the country. (In fact, I’m one of those people who derives more pleasure from seeking out new places in a familiar country rather than checking a new country off the list.) Each time I discover a new spot in Italy, I gain insights not only about the country as a whole, but even about travel itself.

Here are three insights from my visit to Trieste:

1.) The familiar is the paradoxical teacher of new things.