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.

Residences in Province of Gorizia

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 prices for these dates

Next weekend

In two weeks

In one month

In two months

Featured Residences in Province of Gorizia

1 bedroom, blackout curtains, iron/ironing board, free WiFi

Residence in Trieste City Centre

Brodie

RM338 total

includes taxes & fees

16 Dec - 17 Dec

Residence in Trieste City Centre

Jorge

RM312 total

includes taxes & fees

3 Dec - 4 Dec

Residence in Grado

Christina

RM291 total

includes taxes & fees

15 Dec - 16 Dec

Residence in Lignano Sabbiadoro

Harald

In-room safe, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Residence in Trieste City Centre

Gerardo

Residence in Grado

Alice

Residence in San Michele al Tagliamento

Matthias

RM1,433 total

includes taxes & fees

1 Jan - 2 Jan 2026

Residence in Grado

Sebastian

Residence in Lignano Sabbiadoro

Jan

Private beach nearby, white sand, sun-loungers, beach umbrellas

Residence in San Michele al Tagliamento

"Ein kurztrip der zum Albtraum wurde mit Baby und Kleinkind. Ich möchte meine äußerst negative Erfahrung mit diesem Hotel teilen, um andere Urlauber zu warnen. Während unseres Aufenthalts stellte sich heraus, dass die Schlafcouch in unserem Zimmer bereits defekt war. Mein Ehemann wurde beim ersten Benutzen der Couch verletzt, als das Gitter auf seinen Kopf fiel. Trotz sofortiger Meldung des Schadens vor Ort und telefonischer Bestätigung durch die zuständige Dame, kam niemand, um sich den...

Katharina

RM1,648 total

includes taxes & fees

2 Dec - 3 Dec

Residence in San Giorgio di Nogaro

Residence in San Michele al Tagliamento

"Die Unterkunft liegt ideal zwischen Strand und Stadt. Sie ist ruhig und es sind gute Parkmöglichkeiten vorhanden. Etwas veraltet ist das Badezimmer, vor allem der Duschvorhang ist gewöhnungsbedürftig. Desweiteren ist es schwierig, eine gute Mischung zwischen kaltem und warmen Wasser hinzubekommen. Das Wasser wird außerdem extrem heiß. Ansonsten gibt es keine größeren Mängel, die Unterkunft ist weiterzuempfehlen."

Ingrid

Residence in Udine

Residence in Grado

Alberto

Residence in Grado

barbara

Residence in Grado

"Als wir ankamen, wurde uns mitgeteilt, dass das Hotel überbucht ist. Wir bekamen deshalb nicht die gebuchte Suite sondern ein Appartement für eine Nacht und danach ein Zimmer im Hotel Cristina. Am nächsten Tag sind wir um 11 Uhr zum anderen Hotel, dort wurde uns mitgeteilt, dass das Zimmer erst um 13 Uhr fertig wäre. Als wir um 14 Uhr im "neuen" Hotel ankamen, war der Vater des Besitzers als "Rezeptionist" vor Ort. Dieser sprach Italienisch, ein wenig Deutsch und fast kein Wort Englisch. Nach...