Miramare Castle

Castle Miramare (Italian Castello di Miramare) is located on a cliff of the bay of Grignano on the Adriatic Sea about five kilometers northwest of the Italian port of Trieste. The city of Trieste and its surroundings came to the Habsburg monarchy as early as 1335/1382 and remained Austrian until 1918. At that time, the spelling of the castle was Miramar.

The castle was built between 1856 and 1860 for Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria, the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I, and his wife Charlotte of Belgium. Architect and site manager was Carl Junker. The castle and its interior, as well as the surrounding park were built according to the detailed instructions and ideas of the Archduke and reflect in many ways the great love of Maximilian to the sea. The name Miramar or Miramare is based on the Italian / Spanish expressions Mira (from the verb "mirar", ie "to look" or "look") and Mare ("sea" in Italian), that means something like sea view. The interior was completed in 1870, after the death of Ferdinand Maximilian. Since 1955, the castle has been open to the public as a museum for visitors.

This castle looks more like a palace. Positioned on a rocky spur it dominates the sea and the Gulf of Trieste, surrounded by a magnificent park with Italian gardens, it is definitely worth a visit.