Miramare, a Cinderella-like castle, which is more like a palace, is on a point in Trieste, Italy. It takes around an hour to walk the inside of the building, longer if you study it with the audio guide. The gardens, the tea shop, and the bay, can add to the trip.
Castello di Miramare is easily accessible by public bus 6 or 36 or it is about a 10-mile walk along the front from the bay. There is just one boring section of the road as you leave Trieste and walk around the warehouses before re-joining the coast.
The Castle, which is really a palace, and the park, were built by Ferdinand Maximilian, the younger brother of Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Austria. Maximillian, a keen botanist, went to Trieste in 1850. He was 18. He sailed east, keen to explore the world, and by 22 was Commander in Chief of the Imperial Navy. He made Trieste his home with the castle built in the prime position facing the sea. It is obvious that he was a family man and keen on nature, and he supervised each detail of the family home. Sadly, it was completely finished after he left for Mexico in 1864. There he had a brief reign as Emperor he was executed in June 1867. Maximilian and his wife Charlotte have much art around the well-furnished house. It did not disappoint and was not stuffy like so many castles and palaces.
0:00 – Intro 0:15 – Bus Garage 0:32 – Station 1:01 – Bus Stop (36) 1:27 – European Shag 1.43 – Walk Through park 2.40 – Bust Leopold 3rd 2:50 – Castle through Foliage 3:00 – Swan Fountain 3:20 – Main Fountains 3:40 – House Atrium 4:04 – The Cabin Room 4:43 – Library 4:59 – Dining Room 5:20 – Drawing Room 5:31 – Bedroom 5:41 – Charlotte’s Dressing Rm 5:51 – The Botanist 6:12 – The Chapel 6:40 – Games Rm 6:50 – Staircase 7:08 – Main Dining 7:23 – Throne Hall 8:10 – View of Garden 8:28 – Historical Hall 9:10 – Oriental Rooms 9:55 – The Parlour 10:22 – Audience Halls 11:04 – Sovereign’s Saloon 11:15 – Princes Saloon 11:25 – Modern side 11:52 – Gardens 12:30 – Coffee Shop 12:55 – Alternative Toilet 13:10 – Castelletto 13:48 – Bay 14:00 Bus stop (6) 14:20 Trieste Guide preview.
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Jean gave this top marks, and her number one tip is not to queue for the toilet by the house, but to use the one behind the coffee shop in the Gardens.
Whilst many will use this port to access Venice some 2 hours each way by bus or train, you can see by watching the films of Trieste it has a lot to offer.
