Anyone visiting Trieste for the first time and looking around the spacious Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia might easily get the wrong impression. With its palaces, ornate facades, and generous opening to the sea, this unofficial main square promises an elegant city with a cosmopolitan flair. However, away from the piazza, the reality is quite different.

Trieste does not reveal itself at first glance – unlike Venice or Florence. The port city, with its morbid charm, requires time; it needs to be explored, understood, and seen through. Accompanying visitors in this journey is the goal of this book – unveiling all its secrets: the historical sites and their sometimes dark past, which in many cases still needs to be addressed, as well as the exciting architectural heritage of the city. It also highlights the most appealing bathing spots, the trendiest places for an evening aperitif, and the best restaurants for spaghetti with clams or cured meats with sauerkraut.