SantoriniDave.com

Where to Stay in Trieste: Best Areas & Hotels

By Santorini Dave

Trieste Hotels: My Favorites

  • Best 5-Star Hotel: Savoia Excelsior Palace – Grand waterfront hotel with beautiful interiors and sea-view rooms. My favorite luxury hotel in Trieste.
  • Best 4-Star Hotel: Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta – Historic hotel directly on Piazza Unità d’Italia. An outstanding location for sightseeing.
  • Best Boutique Hotel: Hotel Solun – Stylish rooms, stone walls, and an excellent location in Borgo Teresiano.
  • Best Value: Hotel Colombia – Comfortable, good-value hotel close to the train station and within walking distance of the center.
  • Best for Families: DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste – Upscale hotel in a beautiful historic building, with a central location and family-friendly room options.
  • Best for Couples: Forvm Boutique – Small, stylish hotel with exposed stone, interesting artwork, and a convenient central location.
  • Best Seaside Hotel: Hotel Greif Maria Theresia – An upscale hotel in Barcola, close to the waterfront and swimming areas.
Small fishing boats sit tied to a cement canal.

Walking along the Canal Grande toward the waterfront.

Where to Stay in Trieste: My Advice

For most visitors, I recommend staying in the City Center or Borgo Teresiano. Both are excellent for sightseeing, restaurants, cafés, and exploring on foot. The historic center is compact, and there’s no need for a car.

Booking tip: Many apartments and guesthouses have no staffed reception. Confirm check-in instructions and elevator access, especially if you’re arriving late or traveling with heavy luggage.

The Best Areas to Stay in Trieste

  • City Center (Piazza Unità d’Italia): My favorite area for first-time visitors. Best for sightseeing, restaurants, luxury hotels, and waterfront views. Easy walking distance to the Old Town and Canal Grande.
  • Borgo Teresiano: Excellent central location around the Canal Grande, with cafés, shops, boutique hotels, and apartments. Particularly convenient for travelers arriving by train.
  • Old Town (Città Vecchia) and San Giusto: Best for historic streets, smaller hotels, and lively restaurants and bars around Cavana. Streets farther uphill toward San Giusto Cathedral and Castle are steep and quieter.
  • Borgo Giuseppino: Quieter residential area south of Piazza Unità d’Italia, close to the waterfront and Revoltella Museum. A good alternative to the busier center.
  • Train Station Area: Best for budget hotels and early departures. About a 15-minute walk from Piazza Unità d’Italia, but less attractive than the historic center.
  • Barcola: Best for swimming and seaside stays, especially in summer. Waterfront promenade, swimming platforms, and parks. Less convenient for sightseeing and restaurants, but connected to the center by bus #6.

The Best Hotels in Trieste

Ornate wrought iron embellishes windows.

The beautiful entrance to the DoubleTree, my favorite hotel for families in Trieste.

The Best Neighborhoods in Trieste

1. City Center and Piazza Unità d’Italia

A multi-story old stone building with statues in nooks and three flags flowing over the front door.

Walking through Piazza Unità d’Italia, Trieste’s magnificent waterfront square.

The best area to stay in Trieste for sightseeing and luxury hotels. Piazza Unità d’Italia is the heart of the city, surrounded by grand historic buildings and opening directly onto the sea. The waterfront promenade, Piazza Borsa, Teatro Romano, and lower Old Town are all a short walk away.

The streets around Piazza Borsa have shops, cafés, and restaurants, while the waterfront is particularly enjoyable in the evening. The best hotels are expensive, but there are smaller guesthouses and apartments nearby.

A woman sits on the steps that lead to a fountain.

The Fountain of Neptune in Piazza Borsa, with the Chamber of Commerce building and the statue of poet Gabriele d’Annunzio.

Wood doors open to a hotel.

Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta is my favorite 4-star hotel in Trieste, directly on Piazza Unità d’Italia.

White tables and white stools sit in a stone room.

The breakfast area at You.Me Design Place Hotel.

An ornate gold and white ceiling with a glass chandelier sits above a lobby in a hotel.

The beautiful lobby of Savoia Excelsior Palace, my favorite 5-star hotel in Trieste.

2. Borgo Teresiano

Boats float tied to a pier.

The Canal Grande, with the Church of Sant’Antonio Nuovo at the far end.

One of the best neighborhoods for first-time visitors. Borgo Teresiano is centered on the Canal Grande, an attractive 18th-century waterway lined with cafés and historic buildings. The neighborhood has a regular street grid, good shopping, and plenty of boutique hotels and apartments.

The train station is within walking distance, and Piazza Unità d’Italia is about 5 to 15 minutes away, depending on the hotel. Viale XX Settembre, a pedestrian-friendly avenue with cafés, shops, and cinemas, is a little farther inland and popular with locals.

Two black tables sit by a canal with views of old pastel-painted buildings and the sea.

We stopped for coffee beside the Canal Grande, with views toward the sea.

People sit on benches by a fountain on a street.

The shops and cafés along Viale XX Settembre.

Blue leather chairs sit in a wood and stone bar.

The bar at Hotel Solun, my favorite boutique hotel in Trieste.

3. Old Town (Città Vecchia) and San Giusto

The ruins of an ancient Roman theatre.

The ruins of Trieste’s Roman Theatre, visible from the street.

Best for historic streets, restaurants, and smaller hotels. The lower Old Town around Cavana has narrow lanes, lively bars, and some excellent places to eat. It’s one of my favorite areas for walking in the evening.

Farther uphill are the Roman-era Arco di Riccardo, San Giusto Cathedral, and San Giusto Castle. The climb is steep, but the castle and surrounding viewpoints are worth visiting. The Roman Theatre, near the lower Old Town, dates from the Roman Imperial period and can be viewed from the street.

For an easier route up the hill, public elevators connect the Park San Giusto entrance on Via del Teatro Romano with the upper area near the castle. Bus #24 also serves San Giusto.

Historic stone walls of San Giusto Castle.

We toured San Giusto Castle, which houses a museum and offers views across Trieste.

The face of a building has sculptures of women and intricate balconies.

The Art Nouveau façade of Palace Suite, on central Via San Nicolò.

4. Borgo Giuseppino and the Southern Waterfront

A bike sits parked outside a pharmacy.

A historic pharmacy in Borgo Giuseppino.

A good choice for a quieter stay close to the waterfront. Borgo Giuseppino extends south of Piazza Unità d’Italia, with residential streets, restaurants, smaller squares, and the excellent Revoltella Museum.

The district is less convenient for the train station than Borgo Teresiano, but the main square and Old Town are still easy to reach on foot. There are fewer conventional hotels here, though several good apartments and guesthouses. The nearby southern waterfront is also convenient for walking along the harbor.

An orange boat sits in a full marina.

The marina near Borgo Giuseppino.

5. Central Shopping Streets and Piazza della Repubblica

Best for upscale hotels, shopping, and easy access to the entire center. The streets around Corso Italia, Via San Nicolò, and Piazza della Repubblica are among Trieste’s most convenient hotel locations. They sit between the waterfront, Borgo Teresiano, and the Old Town, with shops and restaurants close by.

This is not a separate historic neighborhood, but it’s worth distinguishing because several of Trieste’s best hotels are located here rather than in the hilltop Old Town.

A clothing shop storefront with mannequins wearing suits.

Boutique shopping around Piazza Borsa.

6. Around the Bus and Train Stations

An older yellow building.

Trieste Centrale railway station.

Best for budget hotels and convenient train connections. Trieste Centrale and the main bus station are next to each other, about a 15-minute walk from Piazza Unità d’Italia. The neighborhood isn’t as attractive as the historic center, but it has some good-value hotels and is convenient for early departures.

Hotels on busy roads can experience traffic noise. If you’re staying here for several nights, I’d favor a property on a quieter side street or closer to Borgo Teresiano.

A tall hotel.

NH Trieste is conveniently located near the train station.

A sign reads, "Hotel Colombia"

Hotel Colombia, my favorite budget hotel in Trieste.

7. Barcola

Tall trees stand over a shoreline.

Shaded waterfront park in Barcola.

Best for swimming and seaside stays, especially in summer. Barcola stretches along the coast northwest of central Trieste. Locals come here to swim, sunbathe, walk along the waterfront, and relax in the shaded parks.

Most swimming is from paved platforms, ladders, and pebble sections rather than sandy beaches. The waterfront gets busy on sunny summer weekends. There are also playgrounds and a walking and cycling route along the coast.

Barcola is a good choice for families who want to spend time by the sea, but I prefer central Trieste for sightseeing and restaurants. Bus #6 connects Barcola with the city and continues toward Grignano, near Miramare Castle.

A small group of people sit on a sidewalk next to the ocean.

Swimming and sunbathing along the Barcola waterfront.

Accommodation is limited compared with the center. Tre Merli has rooms close to the sea, Hotel Greif Maria Theresia is an upscale hotel near the waterfront, and Residence La Torre has apartment-style accommodation suited to families.

White arches stand out against the peach colored exterior walls of a hotel.

Hotel Greif Maria Theresia, my favorite seaside hotel in Trieste.

Getting Around Trieste

Central Trieste is compact, mostly flat, and easy to explore on foot. You don’t need a car, and parking is more trouble than it’s worth. The main exception is the steep climb to San Giusto Cathedral and Castle.

  • Buses: Bus #6 connects the center with Barcola and continues toward Miramare Castle. Bus #24 serves San Giusto.
  • San Giusto: Public elevators from the Park San Giusto entrance on Via del Teatro Romano provide an easier way up to the castle.
  • Airport: Trains connect Trieste Airport directly with Trieste Centrale in about 30 minutes. The station is linked to the airport terminal by a covered walkway.

About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave in Athens, Greece Santorini Dave was started in 2011 when I posted a short guide to visiting Santorini with kids. Now, my site publishes regularly updated guides to Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Crete, Athens, and all of Greece.

Questions? Email me at dave@santorinidave.com.