Trieste: Beer Tents & Sun Cream Assault
Back in 2003, my two brothers and I wanted to explore Eastern Europe for the first time. This was before the Eastern bloc joined the EU and before low-cost airlines had started to blitz that region with low-cost fares. So, we had to land in and out of Trieste in Italy, near the Slovenian border, landing just before midday and hopped on the shuttle bus into town.
Our guesthouse, Pension Alabarda, was a short walk away, was cheap and cheerful but travelling on a budget, that’s all we needed.
Trieste itself was a pleasant surprise: grand buildings, a breezy harbour, and we had luckily landed to a lively summer festival with beer tents everywhere.
We wandered the waterfront, had a few drinks, and ended up feeling semi-assaulted by a slightly crazy 80‑year‑old woman, unable to speak a word of English, trying to rub sun cream onto our faces and backs. Was this normal in Trieste?
After a scrub‑up, we headed back to the festival for food, sunset beers by the water’s edge, dancing in one of the tents and no Italian night out would be complete without a large pizza before bed.
Ljubljana: Castles, Parks & Ridiculously Attractive Locals
Our mid-morning train arrived into Ljubljana early afternoon.
First impressions of Eastern Europe were good – it was 32 degrees, sunny and everyone looked happy.
We explored the castle and wandered the old town – surprised just how low-key and quiet it was for a capital city.
Tivoli Park is Ljubljana’s green space – not that it desperately feels like it needs it, being low-rise and quite leafy anyway – an escape for locals to more natural surroundings.
There are some lovely paths, walkways, promenades and a mansion in the 5 square Km park, just a short walk from the centre.
There was an outdoor pool, where we grabbed cold drinks and enjoyed the scenery and people watching.
In the evening, we hit the riverside bars – which were incredibly busy early on but by midnight were empty. It seems Slovenians do not do late nights.
Zagreb: Heatwave & Pizza
The train to Zagreb took just over two hours.
We checked into the YHA hostel which was a bit grimy but fine.
Zagreb was roasting – 37 degrees – so we wandered slowly around the main square.
We climbed Lotrščak Tower for city views, visited St Mark’s Church and the cathedral, then chilled in a park before booking our train to Pula.
For dinner, we ate ridiculously cheap food and then found a couple of expat style pubs – the Londoner Pub and the Oliver Twist. The latter was far busier than the former, so we spent some quality time in there. It was fair to say that Zagreb was a good night out and incredibly good value for money.
Pula: Amphitheatres & Rocky Beaches
After a four-hour train to Rijeka, we then got a bus and another train to finally reach Pula, in Instria, right in the northwest of Croatia, within touching distance of Italy. There is a 1st Century Roman amphitheatre that dominates the town, which is arguably better preserved than the more famous Coliseum in Rome. We wandered around for a few hours, around old, cobbled streets, surrounded by lush hills and absorbed by the totally chilled slow vibe of the place.
We found a beach, albeit a stony, but being from the UK, we were used to that, so chilled out in the sun for a few hours.
Rovinj & Poreč: Bell Towers, Beaches & a Chilled Vibe
We checked out early, visited the amphitheatre, then caught the bus to the star of the coast, the small town of Rovinj. Beautiful old town, narrow cobbled streets, and a bell tower with great views – this old, small fishing town did not fail to deliver. If Pula was laid back, people here were practically horizontal.
We lapped it up for most of the day just enjoying the old crumbling buildings, cheap food and the friendly vibe.
Later afternoon, we caught the bus to Poreč.
After ages of searching, this was pre internet booking days, we found a room at Hotel Delfin – which was more of a family resort. Not the kind of place we would usually wash up – reminding us of a little of our childhood British holidays to Haven Holiday Camps. But with no George the Bear in sight and at 36 EUR for a 3-bed room, it suited us fine.
We checked out the nightlife – the English Pub was English only by name – not a decent pint in sight. Although, Nicolina, the waitress, gave us tips on nightlife. Although her tip to try the International Club was fruitless – It was empty and we washed up back home disappointed.
Poreč: Giant Pizzas & 2 Litres of Minging Wine
Finding the Delphin too far from town, we checked out, took a water taxi to Poreč centre and found a room in a homestay. We met Nicolina, the waitress from the night before for lunch and she showed us around. In the evening, at Nono Restaurant, we ordered a pizza each not realising the size – the biggest pizza I’ve ever seen – at least 18 inches! Somehow, we all managed to finish but could hardly walk after and we hadn’t left much room for beer. But whatever was in that pizza done the trick, as we managed to stay out and hit many bars, ending up in a trendy club called Colonia, which was heaving with locals, as we partied until 4:30.
Portorož & Piran: Beaches, Old Towns & Cool Bars
After a stormy night, we caught the bus, crossing the border to Portorož, located on Slovenia’s 50km sliver of coastline – with its lively waterfront lined with cafes and bars on the waters edge.
We walked 3km to Piran, a gorgeous old town like Rovinj. We found a nice beach to chill out on for a few hours and wandered the tiny town’s old streets before walking back to Portoroz and hanging out in a cool bar for the rest of the day.
The next day we crossed the border back to Trieste and flew home.
A sweaty, fun, partied, sun‑cream‑attacked, pizza‑powered trip across Italy, Slovenia and Croatia – and one I’d happily repeat.
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