Civico Orto Botanico di Trieste (Botanical Garden of Trieste), Trieste

Nestled on the gentle slopes of Chiadino Hill (Colle di Chiadino), the Botanical Garden of Trieste offers a peaceful and enriching green retreat in the heart of the city. Established in 1842 with an experimental plantation of Austrian black pine, it blossomed into a fully developed botanical institution by the 1860s, drawing in species from the Julian Alps, Istria, and Dalmatia. Trieste’s municipal garden opened its gates to the public in 1873 and, by 1903, had become part of the Civic Natural History Museum, endowed with botanical prestige under director Carlo Marchesetti.

Today, this compact garden-though spanning just 10,000 square meters-is rich in diversity, hosting approximately 1,200 plant types and serving as an “island of floristic diversity” within the city. It features a variety of themed zones-from endemic flora of Carso and Istria to ornamental and magical-plant beds, officinal (medicinal) gardens, a formal garden enclosed by box hedges, and even water gardens with lotuses that bloom in summer. Themed areas such as the “Anthology of Magical Plants” with its esoteric layout and stone fountain add a poetic charm.

The botanical garden is much more than a display-it's a centre for science, conservation, and community engagement. Yearly, it publishes the Index Seminum, a seed catalog shared globally to foster botanical research and exchange. It extends its mission through educational workshops, guided tours (often tailored for school groups and families), accessibility initiatives like Braille information, and even wildlife-friendly projects such as nest installation to shelter birds, bats, hedgehogs, and “orbettini” (small mammals).

For visitors, the Botanical Garden embodies both cultural enrichment and a tranquil escape. As a municipal garden deeply woven into the city’s scientific and social fabric, it invites you to wander among its diverse botanical displays, soak in its quiet beauty, and discover both the region’s floral heritage and the wider role of urban green spaces in fostering biodiversity and environmental appreciation.