Gay Secrets of Trieste
Tour Information
Discover the port city of Trieste, nicknamed the “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century city centre — Italian at heart, yet shaped by a crossroads of cultures, religions, East and West. The triestini mirror their city: open to the world, accepting of difference, and aware of how layered and complex identity can be.
No one captures Trieste better than English author Jan Morris, who changed her gender in the 1970s, in the title of her book Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere. She lived here after World War II, during the period of Allied military administration, and returned many times throughout her life.
Beneath its tumultuous history — marked by World Wars and the Cold War — Trieste seduces visitors with refined charm and eccentric characters who have called it home.
Discover stories of intellectuals and artists such as Sigmund Freud, and writers and poets like Umberto Saba and James Joyce, fascinated by sex, psychoanalysis and excess. See J.J. Winckelmann’s neoclassical cenotaph — the historian killed in his hotel room by a rumored male lover.
We’ll explore the neighborhoods and communities that shaped Trieste: the ambitious merchants of Borgo Teresiano with its Grand Canal; Cavana, once the red-light district where sailors sought relief; the remains of the Jewish ghetto; and the medieval Cathedral of San Giusto.
With its unique position by the sea and at the crossroads of influences, Trieste developed a discreetly libertine spirit — a northern dolce vita of aperitivo culture, absurd traditions, a selection of nudist beaches, and even a small but regular drag scene.
Often overlooked and slightly off the beaten track, Trieste will surprise you.
What you will see
- Discover the history behind the palaces of Piazza Unità d’Italia
- Admire the stunning Byzantine mosaics inside San Giusto Cathedral
- Visit the former Jewish Ghetto of Trieste
- Delight in the scenic beauty of the Canal Grande
- Take a photo with James Joyce’s statue
- Unveil the history of Roman Tergeste and its 1st-century Roman Theatre
- Stroll through the elegant Borgo Teresiano district
Discover the port city of Trieste, nicknamed the “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century city centre — Italian at heart, yet shaped by a crossroads of cultures, religions, East and West. The triestini mirror their city: open to the world, accepting of difference, and aware of how layered and complex identity can be.
No one captures Trieste better than English author Jan Morris, who changed her gender in the 1970s, in the title of her book Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere. She lived here after World War II, during the period of Allied military administration, and returned many times throughout her life.
Beneath its tumultuous history — marked by World Wars and the Cold War — Trieste seduces visitors with refined charm and eccentric characters who have called it home.
Discover stories of intellectuals and artists such as Sigmund Freud, and writers and poets like Umberto Saba and James Joyce, fascinated by sex, psychoanalysis and excess. See J.J. Winckelmann’s neoclassical cenotaph — the historian killed in his hotel room by a rumored male lover.
We’ll explore the neighborhoods and communities that shaped Trieste: the ambitious merchants of Borgo Teresiano with its Grand Canal; Cavana, once the red-light district where sailors sought relief; the remains of the Jewish ghetto; and the medieval Cathedral of San Giusto.
With its unique position by the sea and at the crossroads of influences, Trieste developed a discreetly libertine spirit — a northern dolce vita of aperitivo culture, absurd traditions, a selection of nudist beaches, and even a small but regular drag scene.
Often overlooked and slightly off the beaten track, Trieste will surprise you.
What you will see
- Discover the history behind the palaces of Piazza Unità d’Italia
- Admire the stunning Byzantine mosaics inside San Giusto Cathedral
- Visit the former Jewish Ghetto of Trieste
- Delight in the scenic beauty of the Canal Grande
- Take a photo with James Joyce’s statue
- Unveil the history of Roman Tergeste and its 1st-century Roman Theatre
- Stroll through the elegant Borgo Teresiano district
Departure:
Places You’ll See
Itinerary
What's Included
What's Excluded
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Additional Information
Know before you go
- This experience includes a 3-hour walking tour, so a moderate level of fitness is required. To reach San Giusto Cathedral, you may take an elevator to avoid the uphill walk; please note there are still a few stairs to climb.
- Appropriate clothing is required to enter the cathedral (shoulders and knees must be covered).
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Gay Secrets of Trieste
From € 120
Untold History Tours
Gay owned company.
Constant research about the hidden Gay Italian history.
Only guides openly gay or gay-friendly.
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