The Grand Canal of Trieste is a navigable canal located in the heart of the Borgo Teresiano, in the heart of the city.

© Dario Argenti/Shutterstock

Borgo Teresiano

Trieste


Much of the graceful city-centre area north of Corso Italia dates to the 18th-century reign of Empress Maria Theresa, including the photogenic Canal Grande. Reflecting centuries of religious tolerance, it's here you'll also find the mosaic-laden 1868 Serbian Orthodox Chiesa di Santo Spiridione juxtaposed with the neoclassical 1842 Catholic Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Taumaturgo. On the Via Roma bridge stands a life-sized statue of James Joyce; Piazza Hortis is home to a similar bronze of Italo Svevo.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Trieste attractions

1. Statue of James Joyce

0.05 MILES

James Joyce's presence in the city is palpable, but if you're not feeling it, this bronze statue will help. He's often surrounded by Irish visitors and…

2. Civico Museo Teatrale Carlo Schmidl

0.1 MILES

Trieste's long-standing cultural cred is documented at this museum, housed inside the grand Palazzo Gopcevich, with a collection that traces the city's…

3. Chiesa di Santo Spiridione

0.11 MILES

Constructed from pearly white Istrian stone in 1868, the Serbian Orthodox church has a typical Byzantine style, its large central dome flanked by four…

4. Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Taumaturgo

0.16 MILES

Sitting at the end of the so-called ‘Grand Canal’, the Church of Sant’Antonio is Trieste’s most instagrammable monument. Built between 1825 and 1849, its…

5. Roman Theatre

0.27 MILES

Behind Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia rise remains of the Roman theatre, which was built between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Concerts are held here…

6. Il Museo Ebraico

0.29 MILES

A small, highly prized collection of liturgical items, textiles, documents and photographs, including a touching number of personal items stolen by Nazi…

7. Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia

0.29 MILES

This vast public space – Italy's largest sea-facing piazza – is an elegant triumph of Austro-Hungarian town planning and contemporary civil pride…

8. Synagogue

0.37 MILES

This imposing and richly decorated neoclassical synagogue, built in 1912, is testament to Trieste's once significant Jewish community. Heavily damaged…