Deep History and Dark Places: Exploring Beyond Trieste

Beyond the winding cobble stone roads, baroque buildings shining with gold leaf patterns, majestic coastal castles, and the thriving maritime culture of Trieste, lays a deep history and some very dark places.

Trieste, a coastal Italian city located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste and the Adriatic Sea, is home to more than 200,000 people. A culturally diverse city, it borders Slovenia and Croatia and takes pride in its blended heritage. Yet many travelers to Trieste may never see past the music festivals and large populated piazzas to the adventures outside the city that built the region’s vibrant history.

Only 22 miles northwest of Trieste, the remains of over 100,000 fallen World War I soldiers rest. The largest Italian war memorial, Redipuglia, sits solemnly on the west face of mountain Sei Busi in stark gray contrast to the lush green surroundings. Completed in 1938, the memorial is a lasting reminder of the bitter fighting that consumed the eastern front of the war.

As you walk up the stairs from the parking lot and around the corner, Redipuglia opens up before you. It is an amazing yet overwhelming first impression. The twenty two terraces, headed by 75-ton cube tomb, stretch up toward the sky, where three bronze crosses overlook the landscape. That first glimpse of the memorial makes you feel small and then the momentous realization sweeps through you of the thousands on thousands of soldiers killed in this single location.

The entrance to Redipuglia is marked by an anchor chain that is draped from each side. The rusted red and black chains lay on the ground as if the weight of the soldiers behind it was too much to bear. Behind the gate spreads out a flat opening approximately two football fields in length with two lines of 19 bronze plaques forming a path. Called “Ura Eroica” or the “road of heroes,” the plaques are each engraved with the names of the bloodiest battles of World War I.

The names of the soldiers slowly appear as you approach the first terrace wall. Listed in alphabetical order, the names of the 40,000 known soldiers who died at Sei Busi seem to stretch endlessly on each terrace. Looking closely at the names you can see dust lightly layering the stone face with finger prints left behind by visitors.

At the top of the memorial, after climbing the 44 cases of stairs that zigzag their way to the top, lay two common graves for the 60,000 anonymous soldiers who rest at Redipuglia. The graves are a silent reminder of the horrors of war and the horrendous number of families whose sons never returned home. Yet, as you stand at the top of the memorial and look out over the war zone that once covered the country side, the view of the open country side, small coupled towns, new growth ash green trees and overall beauty of the transformed land sweeps you.

Moving from one of the highest points around Trieste at Redipuglia to one of the lowest and darkest destinations is the Grotta Gigante. Located only 9.5 miles outside Trieste, Grotta Gigante is the world’s largest touring cave. The main cavern is 280 meters long, 65 meters wide and 107 meters high – large enough to fit the entire St. Peters Cathedral inside the cavity. Discovered by Antonio Federico Linder in 1840, Grotta Gigante is apart of the underground cave system of the Timavo River.

As you begin your descent into the cave, the damp air surrounds you and your whole demeanor changes. Everyone starts to use low voices and becomes wary of the wet stairs beneath their feet. The first fifty stairs or so take you though a narrow opening in the ground to the second discovered entrance of the cave. As soon as you hit the last tight turn in the stairway, the cave opens up in the main cavern. Over 500 ground and overhead lights illuminate behind the rocks, stalactites, and stalagmites, creating a dark, shadowy glow over the entire cavern. Beneath the electric lights grow small green fern-like plants; foliage that never would have existed without the introduction of light into the cave. Continuing down the 500 stairs to the base of the cave, the ominous glow accentuates the rough ridges and distorted shapes of the rocks from thousands of years of water erosion and corrosion.

During the 50 minute tour, the group pauses three times for information about the cave surroundings. While the tour guide speaks Italian, the information is repeated in English by a recording for foreign travelers. From the base of the cavern to the top hang two seismograph pendulums, 100 meters high, which the tour guide explains records the temperature, air conditions, and seismic movement in the cave. In contrast to the dark, rough nature of the caves, the scientific equipment seems out of place with its smooth, white lines.

Once you have reached the bottom of the cave and the moist, cold air has settled on your skin, the tour guide leads you up another 500 stairs to the original entrance to the cave at the opposite corner. Before turning the final corner of stairs out of the main cavern, a platform overlooks the 100 meters to the bottom, leaving a bird’s eye view of the silent cave in your memory.

By looking just slightly above and below and around the area of Trieste, you can discover a whole different landscape full of secrets and history. You can reach darker places for a new adventure and leave with a deeper understanding of the local area and its rich history.

Sidebar:

While Redipuglia and Grotta Gigante are the destinations, getting there is half the fun.

Redipuglia

The easiest way to get to Redipuglia is via bus. There is no admission cost so it is a great place to visit and take your time walking around and really exploring the area. You will want to make sure to bring a sturdy pair of walking shoes and a light jacket. Additionally if you are tired and thirsty after climbing the 22 terraces, there is a restaurant and restroom facilities at the base of the monument near the parking lot.

Grotta Gigante

From central Trieste to Grotta Gigante you take bus 42. The bus takes you up into the hills of the neighboring towns outside Trieste. The road is very narrow, yet provides clear views of the Adriatic Sea, Trieste, Slovenia, and Croatia. Talk to the locals on the bus if you are not sure where to exit. Most of the people are very friendly and helpful, especially the locals who travel this route daily. When you exit the bus follow the signs to the entrance to Grotta Gigante. The path will lead you down a quiet, rural neighborhood that is scattered with small grape farms and Italian cottages. At the end of the road is the information center, a small food vendor selling sandwiches, drinks, and pasta, and restrooms. You can buy the entrance tickets inside the information center. For Adults the admission is 8,50 euro. Also you will want to bring a light jacket and a good pair of walking shoes.