Food
The daily, open-air market in Piazza St Antonio is a riotous celebration of food. Scores of colorful stalls sit in the shadow of two grand churches, St Antonio and San Spiridione, underlying the tranquil cohabitation of various cultures in the city. The market stalls are lined with irresistible delicatessens from Friuli Venezia Giulia region specializing in salami and prosciutto San Daniele, parmesan cheese, salt cod and fresh pasta.
Book a table for lunch at the nearby Da Giovanni, a cucina casalinga (home-style cooking) institution, a true rebechin mecca where a €10, steaming plate of spaghetti with sausage and radicchio can be followed by a Triestine specialty such as creamy baccalà.
Inspiration
Right in the heart of San Vito neighborhood, running alongside the magnificent San Giusto castle, Parco di Villa Bazzoni, at via dei Navali 9 is a beautiful park boasting a few old water wells and pumps, as well as Roman wolf with Romulus and Remus statue. The Villa Bazzoni was built in 1830, to the design of Cividale architect Giovan Battista de Puppi, on a vast lower Chiarbola property that stretched to the ridge of San Vito hill. The client was Gracco Bazzoni (1798-1871), a Lombardo trader from a prestigious family. His son Riccardo Bazzoni became the first and very popular mayor of Trieste from 1878 to 1890. The park is open daily until sunset and is a perfectly delightful place for a stroll, meditation or quick jog.
Neighborhood
The life and beating heart of Trieste is the Cavana district, a maze of narrow streets that run off Piazza Unità. Just as lively during the day as at night, it is rich with open-air cafes and bars, from Mug and Chocolat to SET and Adoro café. Torrefazione la Triestina is the place to get your morning capo-in-b, while the shaded terrace of hip Life Cafe is ideal for an aperitivo.
Escape
Lago di Cavazzo (Lake Cavazzo) is located within an hour and a half of driving from Trieste and it is a perfect place to explore in the balmy months as it remains particularly cool throughout summer. Surrounded by the Carnic Alps, the lake is 6500 meters long and is the largest natural basin in Friuli. Its waters bathe three territories of Cavazzo Carnico, Trasaghis and Bordano, hence another name for this lake- Lago di Tre Comuni (lake of the three municipalities). According to antique legends, Lake Cavazzo was formed by the tears falling from heaven in the form of rain. Besides being incredibly beautiful, Lake Cavazzo offers all visitors numerous fun summer activities to choose from: kayaking, rowing, boating and windsurfing. You can rent a bike (from romantic tandems to comfortable electric bikes) to explore the magnificent territory, or just walk around. Picnic tables by the lake are available, but you’ll see many people bringing their picnic blankets, which we recommend.
