A MUSICAL CASTLE
We’d checked the distance and the castle seemed achievable from our hotel. Well, Lorraine thought she could walk it, though I had my doubts if she’d survive the climb. Along the flats in the middle of town it was easy but then there came the hill and a statue of Carlo Michelstaedter, a radical Italian philosopher of Jewish extraction whose one and only work was conceived as an undergraduate thesis, but he never saw it in print because he committed suicide in 1910, aged 23.
We troll past a shop with exotic foodstuffs and can’t help but notice some bottled Buderim ginger featured in the window. Just below it was another sign on some wrapped lollies “senza zucchero zenzero AUSTRALIA”, which meant I could buy my sugar free dried ginger right here. It’s a small world.
It was slow and overly warm getting up from there but we took it easy and Castello di Gorizia came into view. Dating back to the 11th century it’s clearly the highest point for miles around.
The chapel-sized Church of Santo Spirito seems like a ticket office on the way to the main attraction. In a park on the opposite side of the road there’s a bust of Gabrielle D’Annunzio, a famous and prolific Italian writer and WWI hero who was hugely influential in the Fascist movement, inspiring Mussolini. He was noted for self-promotion.
From the 11th century Gorizia was an independent county until Austria took over in 1500 and it became a major cultural centre. It was only after the fallout from WWI, when it suffered badly, that it came to be in Italian hands. This once castle-of-the-counts has now been done up as a tourist attraction but it holds a surprise, at least for those of us who hadn’t done their homework properly.
The solid walls are much covered in plant life these days and the parapets are quite impressive from below and when you enter through the gateways the cobblestone walkways add an air of authenticity as you climb their steep angle. Only the base is original though. It went through many rebuilds from the 13th to 16th century and was bombed during WWI before being restored for the final time. The restoration is evident in the variance of the colours in the stonework.

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Our top choices for Gorizia 4-star hotels

Hotel Major

Ronchi dei Legionari

Giancarlo

Business Room, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking | Egyptian cotton sheets, minibar, in-room safe, desk

Best Western Hotel Continental

Udine

Csaba

AED 398 total

includes taxes & fees

15 Dec - 16 Dec

Hotel Miramare - Adults Only

Roiano-Gretta-Barcola-Cologna-Scorcola

cynthia

AED 336 total

includes taxes & fees

6 Jan - 7 January 2026

Europalace Hotel, BW Signature Collection

Monfalcone

Michelle

AED 368 total

includes taxes & fees

12 Dec - 13 Dec

Delparco Hotel

Buttrio

Marian

AED 582 total

includes taxes & fees

11 Dec - 12 Dec

Astoria Hotel Italia

Udine

Marco

Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Regional cuisine

Hotel Franz

Gradisca d'Isonzo

Lisa

LE FUCINE HOTEL

Buttrio

hans-joachim

AED 545 total

includes taxes & fees

24 Dec - 25 Dec

Couples treatment rooms, sauna, body treatments, body scrubs, facials

Hotel Riviera & Maximilians

Roiano-Gretta-Barcola-Cologna-Scorcola

Mary

AED 650 total

includes taxes & fees

13 Dec - 14 Dec

Al Ponte

Gradisca d'Isonzo

Francesca

AED 556 total

includes taxes & fees

12 Dec - 13 Dec

Ambassador Palace Hotel

Udine

donald

AED 440 total

includes taxes & fees

16 Dec - 17 Dec

HT Hotel Trieste

Gradisca d'Isonzo

William

AED 411 total

includes taxes & fees

9 Jan - 10 January 2026

Laguna Palace Hotel

Grado

Mark

Grand Hotel Entourage Palazzo Strassoldo

Gorizia

Randall

AED 500 total

includes taxes & fees

18 Dec - 19 Dec

Executive Hotel Udine

Udine

John

AED 482 total

includes taxes & fees

19 Dec - 20 Dec

Best Western Gorizia Palace Hotel

Gorizia

Eric

AED 359 total

includes taxes & fees

8 Jan - 9 January 2026

Castello di Buttrio

Buttrio

Isabel

Riva Palace Hotel

Grado

Daniel

Perla, Resort & Entertainment

Nova Gorica

"1990's decor in the room,up dated bathroom, huge wardrobes. No luggage racks,except for a small cut out. Once again we had to improvise. Bed's comfortable. Parking off road awesome, breakfast ok,staff were a little tired and weren't helpful as they tried to close well before 11oclock. Obviously not happy with people on holiday when they weren't. Front counter staff helpful and very accommodating. Casino was clean and fun."

COLIN

AED 705 total

includes taxes & fees

16 Dec - 17 Dec

Park, Hotel & Entertainment

Nova Gorica

juan

AED 620 total

includes taxes & fees

16 Dec - 17 Dec

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Tivoli Portopiccolo Sistiana Wellness Resort & Spa

Località Sistiana 231/M Duino-Aurisina TS

AED 762

AED 838 total

17 Dec - 18 Dec

includes taxes & fees

9.4/10 Exceptional! (124 reviews)

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Pool Spa Hot tub Breakfast included Waterpark

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Learn more about Gorizia

Explore Borgo Castello's medieval fortress and discover the fascinating border history at the Museum of the Great War. Cross the main square to Nova Gorica in Slovenia where the unique international Piazza Transalpina spans two countries.

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