Mercatini di Natale di Trieste

Trieste dresses up for the holidays

Every winter, the centre of Trieste transforms into a large Advent village. The Mercatini di Natale di Trieste (Trieste Christmas Markets), promoted by the Municipality of Trieste together with the CAT Terziaria Venezia Giulia of Confcommercio, line up dozens of wooden stalls along the city's most elegant streets and squares, lighting up the decorations from the Immaculate Conception period until January 6th.

Among the stalls, from Ponterosso to Borsa

The 71 stalls are spread across via delle Torri, via Ponchielli, via Bellini, piazza del Ponterosso and piazza della Borsa, Trieste's commercial heart and main salon. Some exhibitors offer food and drink from all over Europe, while others showcase crafts and gift ideas. Alongside local producers, who represent about a quarter of the exhibitors, there are operators from other Italian regions and eight foreign countries (Austria, Croatia, France, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, and others), testifying to the city's Mitteleuropean crossroads vocation.

Ice skating, nativity scenes, and coffee

The most beloved symbol remains the ice-skating rink set up in piazza del Ponterosso, overlooking the Canal Grande, open from late November until mid-January. The programme is enriched with costumed entertainment, street artists, nativity scene exhibitions by the Amici del Presepio (Friends of the Nativity Scene), and the unmissable Trieste Coffee Festival, dedicated to the city that has made coffee an institution. Neighbourhood markets in Roiano, San Giacomo, and Servola complete the widespread Christmas offerings.

A border Christmas

Strolling among the stalls with a mug of mulled wine, leaving the imposing Borsa building behind and facing the reflection of the lights on the Canal Grande, is the best way to savour a Trieste Christmas: elegant, international, and overlooking the Adriatic.