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.

Houseboats in Province of Gorizia

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Top Cities in Province of Gorizia

Houseboats in Province of Gorizia

Marina Azzurra Resort

Lignano Sabbiadoro

Izabela

Mobile Home, 2 Bedrooms, Sea View, Overwater | Terrace/patio

Eldamar Floating House

Piran

"Overall nice place and very accommodating and friendly host. Marina is nice and walking distance to the city. The boat/house was clean and well equipped. On the negative side the blinds/shades on the terrace were broken which made the terrace unusable during the day when the sun was out. This was extremely disappointing and for the price we would assume fully usable place. Also, we would expect some basic stuff to be there (trash bags, toilet paper, basic shower amenities, soap, etc.) but it...

Marcin

Marina Azzurra Resort Houseboat Lagoon für 6 Personen

Lignano Sabbiadoro

Floating Resort

Lignano Sabbiadoro

laura

Your Holiday Dream: Princess 50

Portorož - Portorose

"Es war uns eine Ehre Gast dieses Bootes zu sein. Wir wurden sehr herzlich empfangen und die Besitzer haben sich rührend und sehr respektvoll um uns gekümmert. Es war eine ganz wundervolle Erfahrung auf diesem Boot Urlaub zu verbringen. Die traumhaften Sonnenuntergänge , die Ruhe , das Wasser . Der Hafen mit seinem privatem Wasserzugang , dem tollen Pool und den sehr modernen Sanitäranlagen war auch wirklich toll. Wir haben uns vom ersten Tag wie Zuhause gefühlt und würden immer wieder gerne...

Sarah P.

Luxury Sea House Star Line-Portorož

Piran

AED 1,269 total

includes taxes & fees

6 Dec - 7 Dec

Bed & boat Lignano

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Adela Floating House

Piran

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Top Province of Gorizia Hotel Reviews

Le Terrazze

10/10 Excellent

"Room was spotless. Great location, 10 minute walk from the station, seafront and local bars and restaurants. Check in was clearly communicated and straightforward. Massive room for the price paid."