Considering adding Trieste to itinerary

[Larry H]

My wife and I are planning a 7-week trip to northern Italy in late winter/early spring, flying in and out of Milan, where we'll stay 5 days, followed by a week in Venice. She'd like to continue to Trieste, then rent a car and drive through Friuli Venezia Giulia on the way toward Umbria (2 weeks there) and possibly end up in Lucca/Cinque Terre. We'd like advice on how many days to spend in Trieste and places of interest in Northeast Italy. (Note: she says this may be our last trip to Italy, as I am 73 and she is 69, and she'd like to revisit the UK and France on our next two trips to Europe.)

 

[Pauline]

I haven't been to Trieste but people I talk to love it. I have it on my list of places to go. One thing to consider is snow in the mountain areas.

This sounds like a good trip plan. Lucca can be very busy, but you will be there off season. When we visited the Cinque Terre we stayed in Levanto, the larger town just north. You can easily drive in, then take the train from there to the Cinque Terre towns.

It is strange as we get older to think these may be our last trips. But instead of stopping traveling you could do easier trips. Pick a place and stay for a month. I have friends older than you who do this as a way to keep traveling. And we are not far behind you age-wise!

 

[jonathan]

I'm one of those Trieste-lovers that Pauline has talked to It's a fascinating city: much of the architecture, and some of the food and cafes, feel distinctly middle-european - the city was the main port of Austria for a significant part of its history. On the other hand, the shops, and the spoken language, are thoroughly Italian (unlike the Trentino/Alto Adige region north of Trento, where German is normally the first language. Trieste has an interesting literary history: the James Joyce museum is well worth a visit if that's your interest, and there are some good art galleries and other little museums in 19th-century mansions.

Some of Friuli is possibly a bit high-altitude for easy driving in early spring, as Pauline warns. But Udine is down in the plain, and is a very handsome city, with defininite Venetian influences.

On your way down to Umbria, if you have time, do try to take the coastal route, past Chioggia, down over the Po delta (fascinating landscape around Comacchio: all very flat, watery, and reedy), and then have a night in Ravenna (if you haven't been there before): it's an attractive small city, and the mosaics in the three famous churches are glorious.

 

[Giulia da Urbino]

Between Venice and Trieste do visit Aquileia!

 

[Giulia da Urbino]

And I found Lipica (in Slovenia but very very near Trieste) and its Lipizzaner horse museum fascinating.