VIENNA TO TRIESTE

OVERVIEW

This journey from Vienna to the Adriatic takes you through a region where Mediterranean, Slavic and Germanic cultures have merged across historical epochs, from Rome to Charlemagne, Habsburg Austria and modern Italy. The legacy of these cultures is present everywhere: in Friuli and Istria’s UNESCO-listed Roman sites, for example, in Vienna’s great imperial collections, and in the elegant provincial towns we visit.

The unique cultures of these places remain distinct to this day. Friuli had the sophisticated but less-known Lombards, the Croatian coast boasts the towns of the Venetian Empire, and cosmopolitan Trieste was Austria’s Adriatic port for centuries. But these successive empires have also marked the region with conflict, including the ‘barbarian’ migrations during the decline of Rome, the trenches of WWI and the Iron Curtain that divided Europe’s east and west.

This 16-day tour explores this rewarding and less-visited region in depth, beginning with four nights in Vienna to survey the imperial capital. We then travel into Slovenia and on to gracious Ljubljana, Friuli, the Istrian peninsula and Trieste. The fascinating history, art, and archaeology we survey is set against the delightful scenery of the Austrian Alps, serene Lake Bled, and the rugged Adriatic coastline.

The tour is complemented by the fine food and wine that embraces a fusion of the unique terroirs of Austrian, Italian and Slavic traditions.