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.

Province of Gorizia Hotels with indoor pool

Change your mind
Book hotels with free cancellation
Treat yourself
Sign in to save 10% or more on thousands of hotels
Sign in
Be picky
Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check availability on Province of Gorizia Hotels with indoor pool

Tonight

16 Nov - 17 Nov

Tomorrow

17 Nov - 18 Nov

Next weekend

21 Nov - 23 Nov

In two weeks

28 Nov - 30 Nov

Top Province of Gorizia Hotels with indoor pool

Lunch, dinner served; Italian cuisine, sea views

Grand Hotel Astoria

Grado

Indoor pool
Seasonal outdoor pool
Pool loungers
Hot tub
Full-service spa

Lunch and dinner served, Regional cuisine

Hotel Abbazia

Grado

Indoor pool

Indoor pool, outdoor pool, pool umbrellas

Hotel ai Pini

Grado

Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Children's pool
Hot tub

Water view

Laguna Palace Hotel

Grado

Indoor pool
Hot tub
Full-service spa

View all properties

Save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels when you're signed in

Sign up, it's free

Top Province of Gorizia Hotel Reviews

Hotel Continentale

Hotel Continentale

10/10 Excellent

"The hotel staff were amazing! They were so helpful in getting my phone back from our shuttle service. The breakfast was delicious. Our stay in Trieste was wonderful."

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

Hotel Theme

More Themes

Other Accommodation Types in Province of Gorizia

Discover hotels close to Province of Gorizia with room rates, reviews, and availability. Most hotels are fully refundable.

See a list of all hotels in Province of Gorizia

be30e0bd-e2fe-4865-b85a-f7476399e35c765b3959-9a84-47ef-b382-99cf8f3ece04