Somewhat forgotten about since the Habsburgs were in fashion, Trieste is now being done up in suitably grand style from top to tail. Tourism has revived it with the renovation of the harbour to accommodate larger cruise ships (though many budget air passengers use Trieste as a transit point for forays into nearby Slovenia and Croatia). Even the coffeehouse culture of Franz Josef’s day – when this cosmopolitan, polyglot port was a literary hub – is coming back. James Joyce was one...
[Trieste guide]