Gorizia Travel Guide: Your 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Welcome to Gorizia, the city of nicknames (more on that later though!). You'll likely either drive into town or have taken the regional train from the airport or somewhere else in the region.

If you took the train, it's a short flat walk from the train station to the city center. On that walk, if you stay straight on Corso Italia, you'll be greeted by grand villas lining the road. These villas are remnants of the Austrian Empire but still looked lived in and well taken care of today.

If you're up for and able to walk, I highly recommend it. The promenade is shaded, full of trees, and you can enjoy the breathtaking architecture from the moment you arrive.

Likewise, you can arrive at the train station in Nova Gorica if you're visiting from other parts of Slovenia.

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Check-In to Your Hotel

Personally, I recommend staying in the old town. The only exception to this would be if you have a car and prefer to stay in the wine region and just make a short day trip to the city center. If that's the case, you'll just want to alter my travel guide slightly as I'll write it for those staying in the heart of Gorizia.

Still need a place to stay in Gorizia? I recommend:

• Budget Stay: TORTORELLA Apartments: These apartments are essentially right in the middle of both towns, ideal for those that want to walk the entire weekend.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Sottocastello 3: This is another option in a similar area as the budget option above.
• Luxury Stay: Residenza al Parco: This is a great choice for those that drove since you'll get free parking here. It's also a bigger space and has a small garden to start your day slowly.

Please note that there aren't any hostels or incredibly budget-friendly places to stay here. You might have better luck across the border or next year when the hype has died down some.

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Wander Around the City Center

Once you've dropped your bags off, go ahead and get acquainted with the center of Gorizia. Since you've already strolled Corso Italia, I now recommend you check out:

• Via Roma: I read on a sign in Gorizia that Via Roma was constructed for a visit by Mussolini. You'll see the architecture there is different from the rest of the town as they're symbols of the Modernist Movement prevalent at that time.
• Via Rastello: This is by far the most picturesque street in Gorizia. It's quintessentially charming and although relatively short, the best lane to take a walk down. There's small shops, restaurants, and sometimes events on the street.
• Piazza della Vittoria: This is the main piazza in Gorizia so it shouldn't be missed. It's a wide open space with an impressive Austrian-style church dominating it. Across from the street the plaza is lined with restaurants and small shops.

Use these 3 streets/destinations as your guiding points and make some detours from there, exploring what there is to see. The town is pretty small so I recommend taking your time and walking without too much purpose.

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Enjoy a Great Dinner

The key to any good trip in Italy is the food. Unless you've spent time in other parts of this region, you might be surprised by the typical fare here.

Since Gorizia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire only until 1918, the area's cuisine is still greatly influenced by Austria, yet with an Italian twist. The food is similar to what you'll find in the region but with some comparisons to the South Tyrol mountains.

There are a handful of great restaurants in the city but I highly recommend you make a reservation for your meal. Regardless of where you choose to eat, if you want to try local food, I recommend you order one of these dishes:

• Frico: Frico is a dish you can find all over the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It's a delicious potato pancake with copious amounts of cheese. It's commonly eaten as aperitivo, shared among friends, but that won't stop you if you want to order it as your main dish.
• Goulash: Goulash is a Central European staple but in Italy, is usually served with gnocchi instead of plain with bread like you'll find in other countries. In Gorizia, we had goulash with something more akin to canederli, a giant dumpling common in South Tyrol, but on the menu it was called gnocchi.
• Sausages & schnitzel: Again with the Austrian influence, you'll find plenty of places serving us sausages, schnitzel, and sauerkraut.
• Radicchio: This is a purple leafy vegetable that's really common in Italy. It usually has a bitter flavor and crunchy texture. It grows really well in this region and when in season, is a common staple on menus in Gorizia.

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Day 2

Since on your first day in Gorizia you explore the city center (if you arrived too late and didn't have time yesterday, this morning is the perfect time to dive in!), today's plan is to give you two options, based on what you're most interested in seeing and doing.

Gorizia is really famous for two things: the nearby Collio wine region and its turbulent history. If you only visit one vineyard and one museum, you could easily combine these ideas into one full day.

It's your vacation so it's up to you how you spend it!

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Plan A. Spend the Day in the Vineyards

If you're most excited about the vineyards, you're in luck. Although Collio isn't really known outside of Italy or really outside of the region, for those that know it, it's considered a real gem. Just know that exploring the vineyards is much easier with a car. Without a car, your best bet is to skip ahead to Plan B.

The wine here really is fantastic and the views are stunning. It's like a smaller Tuscany but with the Julian Alps serving as your backdrop.

The Collio wine region crosses the border, with parts of it in Italy and other parts in Slovenia. I've been lucky enough to visit vineyards on both sides of the border and can say both offer similar views and great wines.

In Italy, you have some options but most of the vineyards are around Gorizia, Cormons, Capriva del Friuli, and San Floriano del Collio. All of these are small towns just a short drive from Gorizia. There's even a road, called the "Road of Wine and Cherries" that connects you through the most important wine tours of the region.

The most common wines to try in the region are Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Collio Bianco.

If you want an exceptional place to stop, enjoy the views, some food, and of course, some wine, I highly recommend grabbing lunch at Locanda alle Vigne.

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Plan B. Spend the Day Immersed in History

I mentioned above that Gorizia is called the City of Nicknames. And I bet you can guess that that's because throughout its history, it's held, well, a lot of nicknames.

It's been called the Austrian Nice, thanks to its nice weather and scenic wine region. Later it was Sleeping Beauty thanks to its timeless elegance. Due to heavy fighting and mass casualties during World War I, it became known as the Cursed City. Later, after World War II, Gorizia and Nova Gorica were divided by a call and thus called the Italian Berlin.

Until WWI, Gorizia, like much of this region, was part of the Austrian Empire. It became a key battleground in the war with Italian forces eventually taking it from Austrian control. At the end of WWII, it became a hard border with Yugoslavia, dividing an area that was once united into two cities and two countries.

The wall was only dismantled in 2004 when Slovenia joined the EU.

So, as you can tell, there's a lot of history in this small town. And this isn't even to mention the ancient history prior to the Austrians.

If you're intrigued, you have a handful of options to choose from to immerse yourself in history for the day:

• Gorizia Castle: Visit the ancient castle that sits on the hill overlooking the city. With your ticket price you can also visit the Great War Museum, listed below.
• Great War Museum: As you can guess by the name, this is the World War I museum that highlights the struggle that took place in Gorizia and the eventual change of powers that happened here.
• Piazza della Transalpina: The Transalpina Square sits just behind the Nova Gorica train station right on the border between the two countries. Here you can put one foot in Italy and another in Slovenia.

There are a lot of other small museums throughout Gorizia but these are the 3 main points of interest to learn more about the city's history.

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Day 3

After a big day yesterday exploring the region or getting to know more about Gorizia's past, today it's time to actually walk across the border and check out Nova Gorica.

The town itself is pretty small so if you set out early, you should be able to get back to your hotel in time to rinse off and check-out before leaving town but if you're a late riser, I recommend checking out beforehand.

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Walk Across the Border

Going from one country to another couldn't be easier here. While you can certainly drive or in 2025, you can take the public bus that's promoting the Capital of Culture winners (TBD if these buses will run in the future), I recommend you walk if able.

The walk is flat and easy and it's really interesting to be able to see the immediate distinction between the two countries.

You can walk along Via San Gabriele on the Italian side which turns into Erjavčeva ulica on the Slovenian side. I recommend bringing your ID and/or passport when crossing the border. Although no one stopped us to ask for our IDs, there have been other times we've been stopped between the two countries on different roads, so better to be prepared!

Walking from Italy, the town is cute and colorful and leads directly up to the border. Once you cross though, you're greeted by a wider street, more trees and grass, and less buildings. The architecture itself highlights its Yugoslavian roots.

After spending time in Gorizia, I was expecting something similar from Nova Gorica. I adore Slovenia and had high hopes of this new town.

Although it is very green and lush, something you really only can see outside of Gorizia's center, the town itself left me underwhelmed. It's super small and lacks a lot of the charm I was hoping for.

That said, I found the dramatic shift fascinating, especially since both of these towns used to be connected under the Austro-Hungarian empire and only divided after World War II. I expected them to look much more similar to one another.

It's a nice walk, especially to enjoy the fresh air and greenery. I recommend crossing for a coffee or lunch. Fabrika was a great spot both indoors and out.

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Gorizia Travel Tips

Before you dive right into your trip to Gorizia (and Nova Gorica), I have a few more travel to share to make your stay even smoother.

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Getting to Gorizia

As I mentioned, you have two main ways to get to Gorizia: driving yourself or taking the train.

You can also arrive via train to Nova Gorica.

I've visited the Collio wine region with friends in their car but for our trip to Gorizia, we took a 45-minute direct train from Trieste. It was quick and easy.

If you're planning to stay put in the city center, I recommend taking the train. That way you don't have to worry about parking. If you're planning to explore the wine route though, you'll need your own wheels.

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Best Time to Visit Gorizia

The best time to visit Gorizia is really up to you!

I've visited the Collio wine region in Slovenia in fall, which is the ideal time for harvest season.

I've visited the Collio wine region in Italy in winter, which isn't ideal for visiting the vineyards (there's nothing on the vines), it is a great time to enjoy the tranquility of the area with few others around.

And most recently, we went to Gorizia's city center in late April. Late spring was fantastic for warm (but not hot) weather and everything opened up for the start of the season.

I imagine summer is a popular time for a trip, just keep in mind that it does get hot.

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How Many Days to Stay

Although I've written your Gorizia travel guide as a 3-day guide, it's really up to you how much time you want to spend here.

As I mentioned, to explore the city center and to walk across the border, we visited only as a day trip from Trieste. That was enough time to get a feel for the city but do keep in mind we were only coming from nearby. This trip was also combined with two other day trips I've made to the region.

If you want to visit a winery and see the city center, I recommend you spend at least one night in the area.

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You'll Love Your Trip to Gorizia

With that, you're ready to enjoy the natural beauty, wild history, and stunning architecture of Gorizia and the surrounding area.

Whether you choose to indulge in the local wines, dive into the past, or simply stroll around and enjoy the quaintness, you're in for a good trip.

Even though Gorizia and Nova Gorica were named the European Capitals of Culture, both towns are quiet and enjoyable for a visit. I was a little worried that this press would bring too many people to such a small place but was pleasantly surprised by the level of energy on a sunny Saturday.