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.

Holiday Homes in Province of Gorizia

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Our top choices for Province of Gorizia holiday homes

Agriturismo Casa Gioia

San Michele al Tagliamento

"Very nice farm house . It’s far from shops so you have to go into near by beach to get groceries. The rooms are equipped with stove and fridge etc. There was no water provided in fridge , you would have to provide own. The breakfast was nice but at the time we stayed the coffee machine didn’t work and no near by cafe to get a morning coffee. Expedia states check in at 9am we got their approx 930am and room wasn’t ready because check in was actually 10am. Would have been nice if they supplied...

Khon

Apartment (Two bedroom apartment) | View from property

Apartment Fredi

Piran

La Casa Gioconda Agriturismo

San Michele al Tagliamento

Helene

SUNSET LUXURY VIEW

Roiano-Gretta-Barcola-Cologna-Scorcola

Apartment, 2 Bedrooms (20) | Living area | LCD TV

Villa Polluce

San Michele al Tagliamento

Chris

Holiday Home Casa Salina

Piran

Mario

Apartments Jez

Tolmin

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Countryside House Leila

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Top Province of Gorizia Hotel Reviews

Savoia Excelsior Palace Trieste – Starhotels Collezione

10/10 Excellent

"Location is great. Many good restaurants are nearby. The room was large, comfortable and fairly priced."

Urban Hotel Design

10/10 Excellent

"Would stay here again. The staff is excellent—professional and helpful, especially Filippini at the front desk, and Tommy “the King of breakfast.” Breakfast buffet was outstanding and well worth the price. Bed was extremely comfortable. Room and facility was b very clean and well-maintained. Room had a few quirks like poorly distributed outlets, but overall our stay was outstanding. We are traveling all over Italy and Paris and this was a great value for the price. "