Although we have been in spring for a while now, this was the first spring weekend, without rain and with spring temperatures, which made our Sunday's trip quite inviting. My family and I were in the mood for sunshine, sea breeze and the smell of pine trees, so we went for a short hike near the city of Trieste. It is called the Road (Strada) Napoleonica, a beautiful panoramic circular walking path near Trieste, 300 metres above sea level and 8 kilometres long. It is one of the most popular hiking trails in this area, offering magnificent views of Trieste, the Adriatic Sea, the Miramare Castle and the surrounding countryside.
The circular route took us three hours of easy walking, with all the stops for taking photos and admiring the scenery, and of course for enjoying the sun and fresh sea air.
The name Strada Napoleonica comes from the legend that this road was built by Napoleon's troops after the capture of Trieste in 1797. However, the road was built by the Italian engineer Vicentini in 1821 as an extension of the road between Opcina and Prosecco. This is why the road is officially called Strada Vicentina (Strada is the Italian word for road).
The trail starts at the highest point in the town of Opcina, at the obelisk, which is very remarkable, so it is not difficult to get to the trailhead, even if you are not from these parts. The obelisk was built in gratitude to the Austrian Emperor Franz I, who built the road between Opcina and Trieste.
The Napoleon Trail is a beautiful footpath suitable for all walkers. Walkers, runners and cyclists can be found along it. There are also many young families who take a baby stroller for a walk, as it is almost always on the flat.
The path is wide and easy to follow, starting on gravel and continuing on asphalt. The last part of the trail is a path through the forest, which leads back to the starting point. The last part can of course be avoided by going back the way you have just come.
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The trail is well signed with maps and marked in the forest part, so it is difficult to stray from the trail.
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The whole of the Gulf of Trieste, the city of Trieste, the Miramar Castle, and the Alpine peaks in the distance, which we unfortunately couldn't see because of the foggy atmosphere, are right in the palm of our hand.
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On the way, at Borgo San Nazario near Prosecco, where the asphalt begins, we reach the natural climbing wall known as the Napoleonica climbing area, which attracts climbers from the wider area.
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Here you will find high and steep rock walls, perfect for training your fingers as well as for a little more concrete climbing. We met a number of budding climbers who made the whole walk very enjoyable. There were even a few who were climbing the wall like mountain goats.
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Here the asphalt path ended and we continued uphill on the forest path towards the lookout tower.
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From the tower, we continue along a well-marked path to an unusual triangular concrete church known as the Tempio nazionale a Maria Madre e Regina. The church was built in 1966, on two floors, with several altars. The view itself and the unusual architecture make the sanctuary worth a stop. Because of its triangular shape, it is called "formaggino" or "little cheese", and also "iron" by the people of Trieste. The church is 45 metres high and can be seen from a great distance.
Even more unusual than the architecture is the fact that the church also houses a bar where you can enjoy a good Italian coffee and a snack.
On the platform in front of the church you will find the last, 15th, station of the Stations of the Cross.
From here, we continued along the asphalted forest road, which offered us a pleasant shelter from the hot sun that was shining high above us.
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We finished the journey where we started it in the morning, at the obelisk. As a curiosity, the railway tracks are still clearly visible on the road, because until 2016, the tram that connected Opcina and Trieste used to run here. For almost 120 years. After a minor accident and due to the high maintenance costs, the tram was parked in a garage, waiting for better times.
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But we were in for a pleasant surprise, because just as we were walking towards the car, a column of vintage cars past us.
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Strada Napoleonica is beautiful in almost all seasons, but I don’t recommend it in the summer, because of the exposure to the sun and the heat. It is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, offering peace, quiet and unique views. In addition, during this spring period, there were a whole bunch of wild asparagus along the path, which, of course, we could not miss. So, as well as admiring the views of the Gulf of Trieste, we combined our family outing with picking wild asparagus, which ended up on the dinner table.
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76
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What a nice trip you had, I really enjoyed the tour, you explained it very well, I like that the tour offers you several stations, could you tell me what action Napoleon did in that place so that they would give it that name?
Thank you! Napoleon occupied Trieste during the Napoleonic Wars. During his reign, he promoted the development of infrastructure, including roads, which were strategic for military and commercial needs. As I wrote, it is probably related to this, but this road was built by the Italian engineer Vicentini in 1821 as an extension of the road between Opcina and Prosecco. That is why this road is officially called Road (Strada) Vicentina.
You had a wonderful day walking this road above Trieste.
I have been to Trieste several times, once by cruise ship and the rest by car, but those one-day stays were just enough for me to visit the center.
If I had known such beauty existed so close, I probably would have found the time to climb up to the strada.
Now I know where I will take a walk and take pictures the next time I'm in Trieste.
Thank you for these wonderful pictures.
Thank you! Now you have an excuse to come back to these places again 🙃 I agree with you, you can't see everything in one day...I have Trieste half an hour drive away, but we spent almost the whole day....
What a nice tour 😍 The views of the sea from the top are spectacular, and that rock climbing wall is something I would like to have very close to exercise every day jjjjj Beautiful 🙌
Thanks! I can agree, the climbing wall was really fascinating, and I was totally taken by it too.
I never get tired of seeing your posts with these beautiful landscapes. The whole place is absolutely amazing.
Thanks a lot @jordy0827 💚 I'd like to post more, but I'm a bit short on time 😵
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Oh great, thank you so much @livinguktaiwan and @pinmapple, I really appreciate it very much!!!
Thanks a lot @melinda010100, I appreciate it very much!
This must be such an incredible experience to have. From the bliss of being able to follow the steps of history to being surrounded with so much beauty! I love it!!!
I totally agree... when you manage to go on a trip in such beautiful nature, and have a little bit of history on top of it, the day can only be ideal. Thanks for stopping by!
Pleasure all mine :) Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks, the same to you!
superb, have to go there one day
Thanks! You have to go, it's not far from us! Thank you. You have to go, and it's not far from us! These spring days are ideal, the sea still cools the air a bit... but in summer it's too hot because you're almost constantly exposed to the sun. Thanks for dropping by!
Good pictures on this post, I like nature how it turned out. :)
Thanks @sarakey, see you around!
All the pictures look like talking and saying clearly that you really enjoy the moment, cycling, leisurely walking and the beautiful scenery really makes me really want to feel that
Thanks a lot, I'm glad you liked my post!
Che bellissimo percorso 😍
È davvero fantastico, se arrivi da queste parti te lo consiglio,.... Buon weekend!
Wow!! You really caught very particular pictures on this trip!! I really enjoyed them! The guy on the mountains, climbing is the one I like the most!
Thanks @belug, it was really an action-packed journey 😜 I was also surprised by the diversity. We took a 15 minute "break" at the climbing wall, not because we were tired, but because we were all watching the climbers with admiration. Have a nice weekend!
very good evening dear @miljo76 !!!!
Entering your publications is a caress to the soul, not only for the quality and style of your photos, but also for the wonderful way in which you tell us the history of the place.
Your photos make us fall in love and make us want to visit these wonderful places!
I congratulate you
Hi @pablo1601, thank you for the compliment, I really appreciate it! When you have the chance, grab it and come and see these places, I guarantee you won't regret it.
It is not a compliment @miljo76 , it is truly wonderful your work.
We are in the process of applying for Italian citizenship.
Hopefully at some point in our lives we will be lucky enough to get to know those wonderful places like the ones you share with us.
I am sure that at some point I will have the opportunity!
Big hug!
Thanks again! My fingers are crossed that your wishes come true as soon as possible!
Res je, enkrat bom moral še sem zavit 😜
Se strinjam, je prou lušen izlet,...potem pa še do Trsta skočiš na kavo,....pa je dan naokoli 🙃Danes smo bili ob morju malo izven Trsta in je bilo 30C, plaža že polna, vsi v kopalkah, dosti se jih tudi že kopa v morju,...naslednji teden pa baje spet sneg 😬
hehe, tudi jaz bi skakal, ma sem si preveč obveznosti naprtil na glavo 😵💫
😬verjamem, pridejo taka obdobja,..... počasi in po vrsti,....
The colony of the vintage race cars were a cherry at the top for me, we well as for your journey, amazing.. didn't know Trieste has this beauty to offer as well
Great shots!
We were also pleasantly surprised when they drove past us, unfortunately I had already put my camera away and took a quick picture with my phone 🙃 Trieste and its surroundings have many starting points for day trips. For us it's great because we have half an hour to get there,...Thanks for dropping by!
It's as if I was there tagging along. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏿
It is my pleasure, thanks for stopping by!
definitely very beautiful😍😍
Thanks @izack!