The route: Province of Trieste

Sečovlje Salina


Along the short Slovenian coast, there are very few wetlands and marshes near the mouths of the Istrian short watercourses. Once, on the other hand, there were many, and the river...

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Sečovlje Salina


Along the short Slovenian coast, there are very few wetlands and marshes near the mouths of the Istrian short watercourses. Once, on the other hand, there were many, and the river mouths were transformed into salt pans, which were located on the edge of the coastal cities. The whole area of the Sečovlje Salina (in Slovenian Sečoveljske soline), the bigger moist environment of Slovenia with its 650 hectares, has been declared a natural park in 2001 and now includes a visitor center and a museum that illustrates both the historical and natural aspect and of this area.
The saltworks are actually very old. They were in fact used by the Romans and in the Middle Ages (the first mention dates back to 1139) and soon became an important reality. Pirano and the nearby Strugnano stocked up salt, a very important commodity in the past, for the Republic of Venice at first and the Austro-Hungarian Empire later.
The extension and technological development of the saline, were characterized by some key moments, the last of which occurred at the end of the '60s, when in the southern part of the Sečovlje Salina , called Fontanigge the production of salt was suspended. The abandoned area has been transformed by nature in different biotopes , more or less salty , which are interwoven in a unique and delicate ecosystem in which only a few rare plants are fit to live: the samphire , the salicornia and the armory with small leaves. This strange lagoon is, on the other hand, a perfect habitat for many species of birds that nest in winter thanks to the sub-Mediterranean climate: the kentish plover, the common stilt, the sterna, little tern, great egret, the Mediterranean gull.
The other saline area, called Leira, is still in use, and the entire salt production, whose traditional extraction process hasn’t changed in 700 years, is entrusted to the hard work of "salters" , entire families that deal with the preparation of salt and all of the processing stages, from evaporation to crystallization , that are executed with the help of very few tools: the timber gates and special shovels and rakes (gaveri) used in tanks.
The controlled flow of sea and fresh water through the locks, maintains an optimal salinity: this, together with the sun and the summer wind, allows evaporation and the outcrop on the surface of the prized "fleur de sel". Once piped into crystallization tanks this mixture will turn into salt crystals.
Inside the park there is also the Museum of Salt, next to the canal Giassi, which includes three renovated houses: a one-storey house in which lived the family (rebuilt in its original appearance), a warehouse for salt harvest and an old wood stove, typical of the Sečovlje Salina.


Val Rosandra


Val Rosandra (regional nature reserve since 1986 about 746 hectares wide) is located near Trieste between the municipality of Dolina and the Slovenian...

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Val Rosandra


Val Rosandra (regional nature reserve since 1986 about 746 hectares wide) is located near Trieste between the municipality of Dolina and the Slovenian Erpelle - Cosina (Hrpelje - Kozina), on the south – eastern side of the province. At the center of the valley flows the Rosandra, which makes it the only area in the Karst with a surface river (which is rare in areas characterized by karst phenomena). The creek flows near Klanec (in Slovenia) and after 15 km it flows into the Adriatic near Muggia.
The exceptional nature of the reserve is given by the multiplicity of environments, due to the particular morphology of the valley, whose two sides have geologically different characters: the northeastern side, sunny and characterized by vertical walls, is dominated by a warm and mild climate; the opposite side to the southwest, is always in the shadows and exposed to the wind, and has large scree and a cold climate. The area is a preferential way for the descent of Bora from the inland to the coastal area.
Because of these almost opposite microclimatic situations, in the reserve there are environments such as the Karst and the black pine forests; many plants both Alpine and Mediterranean, that in the surrounding areas have been lost with the ice ages (like the purple thistle and the nubby chickweed, an Illyrian rare species) survive , as well as many animals species (especially reptiles and amphibians, whose presence outside the valley is extremely rare).
In addition to the natural beauty, Val Rosandra is a favorite destination for hikers from Trieste and beyond, the reserve is characterized by the presence of numerous historic witnesses.

The route starts from the car park near the village of Bagnoli della Rosandra, and continues towards the town of Bagnoli Superiore (just few minutes away) where the real path begins, which in the main parts runs along the Rosandra.
Immediately on the left are the remains of the Roman aqueduct dating back to the first century AD. The work, 14 kilometers long, provided the city of Trieste with water and has worked for over 6 centuries. In 1700, even though it still was in good condition, the council considered its restoration for a greater drinkable water supply, for the quickly growing city. Because of its importance in Roman times, the artifact and the adjacent street, were defended by permanent military lookouts located in the caves on the sides of the valley. These caves have never been inhabited permanently , but certainly have been used for centuries as warehouses and stables, and as a makeshift shelter for shepherds and travelers.
On the opposite river bank, stands the structure of one of the many mills that dotted the valley, which was the only link with the Slovene hinterland of Trieste. They were mostly used for the grinding of the spices which were then transported, along with the salt, from the port of Trieste to central Europe. At the mouth of Rosandra, in fact, once extended large salt marshes, a source of considerable wealth in the late Middle Ages and secular cause war between Trieste and the Serenissima Republic of Venice. In 1757 there were as many as 16, but today very little remains of these buildings, ravaged by time, neglect and war that shook the territory.
After having reached and passed a rocky panoramic stretch, from which you can see a large tract of wild landscape of the valley, you come to a fork that leads through a short climb to the church of Santa Maria in Siaris and Cippo Comici.
The chapel, surrounded by a wild and rocky landscape that sweeps over the valley to the village of Bottazzo, bears the date of 1647 on the front portal , but it is much older than that , having been built on the site perhaps of an ancient tower that served as a lookout post for underlying path along which caravans of merchants passed. Historical records assure the presence of the building, which has a rectangular structure with an apse, a porch and a small bell tower, from the thirteenth century on, and attribute the building to the SS. Sacramento. Santa Maria in Siaris is a place of pilgrimage since 1367, when the Brotherhood’s members, who were guilty of blasphemy, had the obligation to ascend it barefoot as penance to be acquitted. After the last renovation , which took place in 1647, the church was forgotten and ruined by vandalism. In recent decades, many inhabitants from Trieste have taken up the old habit of climbing in procession on May 3, while the people of the nearby countryside go there, on pilgrimage, on August 15.
The Cippo Comici, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley , is dedicated to the climber and caver from Trieste, Leonardo Emilio Comici , who made numerous climbing in the Eastern Alps , particularly in the Dolomites (opening about 200 new routes) and in the Julian Alps.
Choosing to continue on the main trail through the entire gulch , you will reach the picturesque waterfall of Rosandra, which is about 40 m tall. Normally rich in water (during summer you can swim in the pools below) is particularly interesting during the harsh winters, when it freezes.
Continuing the route, you reach the karst village of Bottazzo , dating from the fifteenth century, with its typical houses made of sandstone. The settlement, which arose in relation to the many mills that populated the valley from the Middle Ages until the mid- twentieth century, was the last outpost on the most closed European border in the years of the Cold War.
Da From Bottazzo you can go back through the path where you came from or back up to the old railway track which connected Trieste to Erpelle. It was built, between 1885 and 1887, at the behest of the Austro -Hungarian Empire with the aim to directly connect Trieste, Vienna and Istria. With the redefinition of the European boundaries following the First World War, it came under Italian rule, but after World War II the railroad was divided between two states: the Free Territory of Trieste and Yugoslavia, whose government prevented the Italian convoys to continue beyond the station of St. Elias. The line was therefore abandoned in 1961. The cycle path, between St. James and the Italian-Slovenian border in Draga Sant'Elia (that continues for five kilometers in Slovenia, ending near Cosina) was inaugurated on October 16, 2010 and is part of European cycle route linking Cadiz to Athens. From here you can admire the entire Val Rosandra and , in the full visibility days, the Gulf and the city of Trieste.
Continuing along the disused railway, you can reach the ruins of the castle of Moccò, destroyed in 1511, but already existing in the twelfth century and built by the bishops of Trieste to control the salt road which was used by traders to transport salt from the nearby saline inland. In the seventeenth century it was built near the ancient castle, the fort of Fünfenberg which served as tollhouse but was destroyed by fire at the end of World War II.
From the ruins of this ancient castle, walk down to return to the parking lot of Bagnoli della Rosandra.


Natural Marine Reserve of Miramare


The Natural Marine Reserve of Miramare is located in the Gulf of Trieste, and runs all around the promontory of Miramare, where the castle also rises. Established in 1986...

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Natural Marine Reserve of Miramare


The Natural Marine Reserve of Miramare is located in the Gulf of Trieste, and runs all around the promontory of Miramare, where the castle also rises. Established in 1986, is the oldest marine Italian reserve, it covers an area of 30 hectares and is surrounded by 90 hectares of sea.
The environment in which it is located is a sea-coast stretch, formed by the typical Karst limestone, sloping rocks, pebbles and mud formations to a maximum depth of 18 meters.
The reserve, which includes three environments (tidal zone, a cliff area, sandy and muddy bottoms), plays an important role in the conservation and protection of species: free or scuba diving, is permitted only in a small area of reserve. Only if accompanied by experienced guides, visitors can enjoy the rich and varied fauna, consisting of small bag fish, the flathead mullet, diplondus, seabass and many crustaceans and shellfish. The flora is represented by the sea umbrella, from brown algae and seaweed and as the peacock's tail and sea lettuce.
The headquarters of the Marine Area is housed inside the castle’s park of Miramare, in a building known as the little castle which is also called “garden house”, where there are several aquariums and a touch tank where you can touch some species of marine invertebrates.
The park, with its twenty-two acres, offers the opportunity of a botanical walk of considerable interest. Its construction, was followed personally by Maximilian of Habsburg, a great botany lover. During his travels around the world, as an admiral of the Austrian Navy, the Archduke has picked up and brought in Miramare, many specimens of precious botanical species: Spanish and Indian firs, cypress trees from California and Mexico, and then Lebanon and North Africa cedars, ferns and laurels, redwoods, camellias and Chinese wisteria.
The park is divided into several zones, each with its own peculiarities: the eastern area propose the English garden, with trees interspersed with lawns, winding paths, gazebos and ponds; a beautiful Italian garden occupies the southwest. The old greenhouses and the small ponds, the "Swan Lake" and the damp caves, where the southern maidenhair fern grows as well as the Greek and Roman statues, complete this beautiful botanical scenery.


Grotta Gigante (Giant Cave)


A few kilometers from Trieste, in the municipality of Sgonico, lies the small village of Borgo Grotta Gigante, whose name is due to the presence of the largest tourist cave in the world...

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Grotta Gigante (Giant Cave)


A few kilometers from Trieste, in the municipality of Sgonico , lies the small village of Borgo Grotta Gigante, whose name is due to the presence of the largest tourist cave in the world, registered since 1995 in the Guinness Book of Records.
The Grotta Gigante, consists of two underground rivers that over the millennia have carved the limestone. It consists of an immense cavity (280 meters long, 65 wide and with a domed ceiling of 107 m) into which, at various altitudes, open galleries that are the remains of an ancient river system abandoned by the waters of a few million of years ago. It was inhabited since Neolithic times, as evidenced by some findings on the spot, even if only occasionally in the most accessible part of the cavity, that is to say, the one that is currently exploited as tourist exit.
From this opening began the first exploration in 1840. The explorer Frederick Anton Lindner had hoped, uselessly, to reach the mysterious underground Timavo river, in the attempt to solve the problem of shortage of water who became very urgent because of the rapid expansion of Trieste.
In the following years brave spelunkers from Trieste have continued the exploration, but only in 1890, after the discovery of a second entrance, the complete survey of the cave was undertaken. In 1905 begun the construction of the staircases opening, that would have led to the bottom of the cave.
The opening to the public, with a solemn ceremony, took place in July 1908: the cave was illuminated by thousands of candles, lights and acetylene torches, while the city band played a triumphant song from the "Siegfried".
The visit to the cave begins with the descent of a long, steep staircase where you can enjoy the grand vision of stalactites and stalagmites. Through skilful lighting, they suggest shapes that the cavers, by analogy, have called with evocative names such as: the nymphs’ palace, the gnome, the Madonna, the pulpit, the palm (almost 7 m high) and the Roger column, the most famous concretion which has a height of 12 meters and a base diameter of 4.
Leaving behind this column you get to the Altar hall, a side cave characterized by large stalactites and calcite pan with water. Approaching the exit you can see the skeleton of an Ursus speleus dating back to prehistoric times.
The Giant Cave is the site of important researches and hosts important scientific equipments such as the Geodetic Pendulums, which are the longest in the world (they monitor rocks movements on the crust of our planet, the tectonic earth tides movements and the subtle vibrations generated by earthquakes).

The access is located within the modern Visitors Reception Centre, opened in 2005, which also houses the small “Men and Caves Museum”.
In 2011 it was inaugurated the relief laser scanner, that allows people with disabilities to visit the cave through a virtual interactive movie.


Foci del Timavo (Timavo’s mouths)


The area of the Timavo’s mouths, the karstic, most mysterious, underground river, is a place full of natural charm and history that is often confused with the legend...

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Foci del Timavo (Timavo’s mouths)


The area of the Timavo’s mouths, the karstic, most mysterious, underground river, is a place full of natural charm and history that is often confused with the legend.
Its entire course is still unknown: it originates on the slopes of Monte Nevoso, in Croatia and disappears after about forty kilometers in the San Canziano Caves ( Skocjan in Slovenian). In his underground route of about 43 km, passes through some deep cavities with suggestive names: Snake of the Abyss, the Abyss of Trebiciano, the Doves' Well. In the end, it resurfaces with three springs aligned along fifty yards, in San Giovanni di Duino to then dive after three kilometers in the Gulf of Trieste.
The natural environment that surrounds the mouth of the Timavo is very suggestive: placid river landscapes with green banks shaded by tall poplars. They intersect with wild and solitary glimpses, where the river’s water merges with the sea forming of dark sand and dried seaweed.
The number of sources seems to have changed in the course of the long history of this enigmatic and fascinating river. In the first century BC the greek geographer Strabo writes: "The Timavo has a harbor, a beautiful sacred grove and seven mouths, with seven courses that converge into a single broad and deep river”. While Virgil, in the first book of the Aeneid , describes the way in which the river descends with an impressive whisper, and floods through its nine mouths. The river has seven mouths again in 1556, when the bishop Andrea Rupicio wrote: "Here are the ponds of Timavo; whence nice and clear to see eddies out of seven flow into the waters".
The first, most spectacular, mouth , that opens straight from the rock, opens near the church of San Giovanni in Tuba, which was built on the ashes of a previous worship places: a sacred grove dedicated to Diomede where white horses run, and afterward a temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Spes Augusta. The three votive stones embedded in the apse of the church are likely to come from the primitive Christian basilica, built to house the relics of John the Baptist and John the Apostle. From this final function of resting place for sacred relics, the place takes his name: "San Giovanni in Tuba" derives from the Latin "tumba". Inside the building are preserved mosaics dating from the fifth century. Next to the early Christian church it was built a Benedictine monastery, frequented by pilgrims. Both buildings were destroyed by the Hungarians incursions. In a flower bed to the left of the church lies a plaque bearing the words: "nume Temavo suscepto": the tombstone dating back to first century BC, was dedicated to the god Timavo by an unknown bidder. According to legend, it was in this place that the Argonauts replaced their boats in the water, after having carried them on the shoulders through the mountains, once fled from Colchis going up the Istro, the Danube, to come up to the Nauporto.
Historical records refer that these places were inhabited much earlier: an ossifera breach, a few steps away from the town "Villaggio del Pescatore", hosts the fossilized remains of two skeletons of hadrosaur (a particular type of lizard -faced Schnabel , who lived about 80 million years ago), as well as many other fossils of animals that now live in tropical areas.
In pre-Roman times, the Celts used the area of the mouth of Timavo as harbor. The historian Livy, describes this area as a large coastal basin bordered by a coastal barrier consisting of islets, the "Insulae Clarae", on which stood villas, ports and commercial activities, favored by the proximity of the Via Gemina that connected Aquileia with Tergeste and Emona, the current Ljubljana. Near San Giovanni in Tuba, in fact, a mansio was discovered. It was used as a horses changing station and reproduced in the Tabula Peutingeriana, a thirteenth-century copy of the road system in the Empire.
About two kilometers from the sources of Timavo, towards Duino, there is another precious testimony of the Roman presence. There’s a cave dedicated to the god Mithras, in which the worship of this mysterious god, was practiced by soldiers and widespread in the Roman Empire from the end of the first century until the triumph of Christianity. At the center of the cave there are two parallel counters and among them a squared limestone block, on which the bread was broken during religious ceremonies, while on the back wall you can admire a plaque mold depicting the god Mithras slaying the primitive torus. This mitreo is the only one in the whole world, to be located inside a cave, and is one of the oldest ever discovered.
Even the Republic of Venice took advantage of the strategic location of the area of Timavo for its traffic: on an island that was located in the center of the mouth area (now completely disappeared because incorporated into the coast line) was built a fort called Belforte, which fell into disrepair in the early '500s.
Additional historical evidence confirms the importance of this area in far more recent times: the woods Cernizza, or Deer Park, was, until the nineteenth century, a hunting reserve used by the lords of the Castle of Duino, and by the Villaggio del Pescatore, that was built after World War II as a center to house refugees from Istria and Dalmatia.

Sentiero Rilke (Rilke path)


The "Duino walk", better known as the Rilke path, is one of the most evocative in the Carso, and connects the town of Duino and Sistiana. It is named after Rainer Maria Rilke...

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Sentiero Rilke (Rilke path)


The "Duino walk", better known as the Rilke path, is one of the most evocative in the Carso, and connects the town of Duino and Sistiana. It is named after Rainer Maria Rilke from Prague, one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century in Central Europe, that found here the inspiration for his “Duino Elegies” that he wrote while living, in the early twentieth century, as guest at the castle of the princes Thurn und Taxis.
This sort of natural terrace bordering the natural reserve of Falesie Duino (which means a rocky coast with high and continuous cliffs), it reaches a length of over two kilometers and offers the possibility of a unique path.
From this height, the view sweeps towards the Bay of Sistiana, one of the most beautiful in the Adriatic, and the Bay of Duino, with its two splendid castles full of history and legends. The twisted forms shaped by the limestone erosion; the walls overlooking the sea; on clear days the look can go as far as Carnic Pre-Alps, the lagoon of Grado, the Dolomites and the Istrian coast.
Along the way, there are four panoramic posts , where you can admire the striking beauty of the surrounding landscape. These pitches, open to the panorama, and are the result of the adaptation of the artillery posts that protected the fleet docked in Sistiana; underneath there are open bunkers, one of which was refitted and is now a museum.
After a stretch of about 400 meters you will come across a vast stone (which forms the first lookout) where the vegetation is very sparse with a prevalence of tanner’s sumac bushes, where the horned viper hides. Much more charming, and completely harmless, are the other animals that you’ll encounter along the way, such as the Dalmatian algyroides (a small lizard that became the symbol of Regional Reserve of Duino) and the eastern hedgehog.
From the point of view of vegetation, many species are present: such as the holm oak, the broom, viburnum, the centaury and the chimney bellflower.
Continuing, visitors reach the highest point of the trail, at an altitude of 86 meters, that is one of the outplaces built during the Second World War, in which was placed a German anti-aircraft cannon for the defense of submarines stationed in the Bay of Sistiana. Here the route leaves the rocky ridge to go into the nearby pine forest and back again on the line that runs along the sea.
Also the gallery you'll find later was built during the last war. It was excavated by the Germans, and it served as a depot for ammunition and as a shelter for soldiers. From here you climb to the second viewpoint, which offers a magnificent view on the sea, as well as the third panoramic position (originally also a military observatory), which is about 200 meters away. The rocky shores are home to a rich birdlife, including the wild pigeo, the jackdaw, the raven, the blue rock trush and the peregrine falcon.
From the fourth lookout you can admire the Castle of Duino and the whole lagoon of Grado.
The Rilke path was restored in 1987, through a major restoration work, after being neglected for a very long time.

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