di Sergio Mauri

Trieste is a town composed by thousand of facets and colours, where you can find art, culture, nature
and science. You will be surprised with the delightful countryside of the karst, by its multicultural
traditions and about the scientific development which marks it out. From 1753, when the Astronomic
Observatory was established, the town has been a symbol of technologic and scientific research, and
it hosts several prestigious institutions internationally famous.
Nevertheless, the area of the karst presents a unique landscape, full of charm and mistery.
We can suggest you to visit the Museum of Natural History, which hosts several exhibits found on
the triestine Carso. Visit also the Grotta Gigante – the giant cave – open to the public; the Carsiana
botanical garden, the Planetarium and the Immaginario Scientifico – an interactive science centre, a
museum which combines interactive acitivties as well as multimedia shows to encourage discovery
and learning.
The giant cave (Grotta Gigante) is the biggest tourist cave in the world, able to contain the whole
Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome.
At the Carsiana you can find hundreds of botanical species which are tipically local, from the flora
of the Illyrian-Mediterranian origin that can be found on the sea front, to the sub-alpine examples of
the internal areas.
For people who deeply love nature we suggest to visit the Val Rosandra Natural Reserve.
What else? We can even recommend you to follow the itinerary of the “Strada del Vino terrano” – the
terrano wine route, going up the Strada del Friuli – from where you can enjoy an amazing view all
over the Trieste’s Gulf. After arriving at the village of Prosecco, you can go on to Sales village, a
fraction-village of Sgonico, from where, going upon a short path you can visit the riuns of Sales,
consisting in a proto-historic fortification, before the Roman period. It is made by thick dry-stone
walls which are to be found in several areas of the karst plateau. This was the castellieri culture. After
that, you can go to the picturesque village of Samatorza, Ternova Piccola, San Pelagio and Prepotto.
We suggest you to stop in a tipical place to drink and eat, called osmiza, a seasonal farm restaurant
serving the local food and wine products.