Day 2 – Miramare, Heat and a Quiet Trieste Evening

I woke up feeling surprisingly good after my first night in Trieste and was eager to start the day. Breakfast was at Brunch Republic, about a pleasant 15-minute walk from my hotel. I arrived around 9:15 AM and, although the place was clearly popular and busy, I had no trouble getting a table.

I ordered the Salmon Dance and an iced Coconut Cream Matcha. Both were absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. It was one of those breakfasts that feels a little indulgent but still fresh and light enough for a sightseeing day. I also noticed that practically everyone around me seemed to be ordering the Protein Pancakes, so apparently that is the thing to get here. Maybe next time!

From Brunch Republic, it was only about a two-minute walk to the stop for bus #6 to Miramare. I waited maybe five minutes. The bus was crowded, but I managed to get a seat and paid easily with my phone. From the bus stop near Miramare, the walk to the castle took about 15 minutes.

I decided to start with the gardens before going inside the castle. That turned out to be the right choice. The grounds are very pleasant, with beautiful views of the Adriatic and a nice mixture of formal gardens and more natural parkland. The lower formal areas had statues, bright flowers in bloom and manicured paths, while the upper park felt greener, quieter and more natural. On such a hot and muggy day, the shaded paths were especially welcome.

I spent about an hour wandering mostly through the formal gardens, stopping often to admire the sea views. Toward the end of the gardens I came across a small café and decided to take a break. I ordered a cappuccino and a bottle of water. The cappuccino was exceptionally good — one of those small unexpected pleasures that becomes a memorable part of the day.

Afterward I walked down toward the pier to see the sphinx before heading inside the castle.

There was a short line to enter, maybe 10–15 minutes, but it moved quickly. Inside there were plenty of visitors, but it never felt uncomfortably crowded.

The castle itself was interesting. I learned more about Archduke Maximilian of Austria and his wife Charlotte, and it was fascinating to see their richly furnished rooms. I especially liked the ceilings with all the beautiful wooden detailing. The rooms are elegant and very stately, and the whole place gives a good sense of the life they created here overlooking the Adriatic.

One of the more interesting parts for me was the contrast between Maximilian and Charlotte’s original 19th-century interiors and the more modern rooms created in the 1930s for Duke Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta and Princess Anne d’Orléans. Those later apartments felt noticeably different and made the castle more interesting because you could see two completely different periods layered into the same building.

Overall, I was glad I visited Miramare. It is beautiful and absolutely worth seeing while in Trieste, although I wouldn’t put it in the same category as something like Sintra in Portugal, which felt much more spectacular and dramatic to me. Miramare is more restrained — lovely gardens, wonderful setting, interesting history — but not overwhelmingly impressive.

By the time I finished, the heat and humidity were definitely getting to me. I retraced my route, took bus #6 back into town and walked to the hotel. I was hot, sticky and uncomfortable, and a shower immediately became the best idea in the world.

After cooling down and feeling human again, I went out for an early dinner at Adesso è Così, which had been recommended to me.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be the disappointment of the day.

I ordered essentially the same kind of meal I had eaten the night before — a whole grilled branzino with grilled vegetables. The bill came to €58, more than twice what I had paid the previous evening at Marinato for a very similar dinner. And the frustrating part was that it wasn’t even better. In fact, I thought yesterday’s fish and vegetables were noticeably better.

Because the fish was charged by weight, I couldn’t help wondering afterward whether I had somehow been overcharged or simply ended up with a much larger fish than I realized. Either way, the value felt poor and I would not go back.

After dinner I walked about 25 minutes to the historic Caffè San Marco. The café was surprisingly quiet when I arrived, which made it easy to look around and appreciate the interior. It immediately reminded me of the grand cafés in Vienna — elegant, old-fashioned and slightly intellectual in atmosphere.

I ordered a macchiato and their signature 1914 cake, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. The café itself was worth visiting just for the atmosphere, but the cake made the stop even better.

From there I slowly made my way back through the center and crossed Piazza Unità d’Italia again. The square was beautifully illuminated, but what struck me most was how quiet it felt. There were people drinking aperitivo at outdoor tables and some activity around the bars, but overall I expected much more evening energy.

In many other European cities, a grand central piazza like this would be bursting with street musicians, performers, families and people lingering late into the evening. Trieste feels different. So far it seems more subdued and reserved — elegant, peaceful and somewhat restrained rather than exuberant.

It wasn’t a bad thing, just surprising.

And despite all the warnings about thunderstorms, not a single storm arrived. The day stayed hot, muggy and dry from beginning to end.

By the time I returned to the hotel, I felt tired but happy. Miramare was lovely, the gardens were peaceful, the cappuccino was unexpectedly memorable, dinner was a miss, Caffè San Marco was a hit, and Trieste continued to reveal itself as a city that is quieter and more understated than I expected.

Today’s favorites

Best small moment: the cappuccino in the Miramare gardens.
Best food: Brunch Republic breakfast and the 1914 cake at Caffè San Marco.
Biggest disappointment: the €58 branzino dinner at Adesso è Così.
Most interesting observation: how surprisingly quiet Piazza Unità and central Trieste feel in the evening.
Overall impression: Miramare is beautiful and worth seeing, but Trieste itself is proving more subtle than dramatic.