Trieste

Trieste is one of the most underrated cities in Europe. It was the main port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and has an architectural grandeur that reflects that history — wide boulevards, neo-classical facades, a canal running into the centre. The coffee culture here is entirely its own: Trieste has more coffee houses per capita than anywhere in Italy and a local vocabulary for ordering that will confuse Italians from everywhere else. The city sits between the sea and the Karst plateau, with Slovenia a short drive away. Literary tourists come for Joyce. Foodies come for the fish market and the Istrian-influenced cuisine. Most people simply do not come, which is exactly the point.