One for Cold War kids. The Slovenian border – a mere formality since December 2007 – bisects the edge of Gorizia, and you can celebrate Schengen with a bit of border hopscotch at this piazza's centre, while contemplating the now crumbling fences, border posts and watchtowers.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta
18.08 MILES
The entire floor of the Latin cross-shaped basilica, rebuilt after an earthquake in 1348, is covered with one of the largest and most spectacular Roman…
29.92 MILES
The jaw-dropping Postojna Cave system, a series of caverns, halls and passages some 24km long and two million years old, was hollowed out by the Pivka…
26.45 MILES
Touring the huge, spectacular subterranean chambers of the 6km-long Škocjan Caves is a must. This remarkable cave system was carved out by the Reka River,…
25.6 MILES
Predjama Castle, 9km from Postojna, is one of Europe's most dramatic castles. It teaches a clear lesson: if you want to build an impregnable fortification…
23.11 MILES
The stud farm can be visited on very popular, 50-minute guided tours. The interesting, informative tours are available in a number of languages; a tour…
17.84 MILES
Sitting on a rocky outcrop 7km from Trieste, Castello di Miramare is the city's elegiac bookend, the fanciful neo-Gothic home of the hapless Archduke…
25.41 MILES
This postcard-worthy church and bell tower, at the head of the lake and beside the stone bridge, dates back at least 700 years and is what every medieval…
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
20.62 MILES
Udine’s modern and contemporary hub brings together a number of bequests, creating a substantial collection of 20th-century Italian artists, including De…
Nearby Friuli Venezia Giulia attractions
0.34 MILES
On a 143m hill south of the train station (signed 'Grobnica Bourboni'), this monastery was founded by the Capuchin Franciscans in the early 17th century…
0.81 MILES
This 16th-century residence is jammed with antiquities and artworks, and is surrounded by lush gardens, which are free to visit on their own and open…
0.83 MILES
Constructed from 1654 to 1724, the onion-shaped domes of this high-baroque Jesuit church watch over Gorizia's old town square. The interior is richly…
0.84 MILES
Gorizia's main sight is its castle; perched atop a knoll-like hill it has served as a fortress, barracks and prison. It has some convincing recreations…
5. Musei Provinciali di Borgo Castello
0.91 MILES
Below the castle in three adjacent building (Casa Domberg, Tasso and Formentini) are the provincial museums of Gorizia. The most interesting is the Museo…
2.5 MILES
Three kilometres east of the town, the Goriško Museum resides in the impressive, 17th-century Kromberk Castle. The collection spans rich period…
6.06 MILES
The Renaissance-style Dobrovo Castle, dating from 1606, has a handful of rooms filled with artworks and period furnishings (limited labelling). There's a…
8. Museo del Monte San Michele
6.61 MILES
This small interactive museum deploys digital displays and an excellent virtual-reality experience to explore the horrors of the Italian front in the…