Trsat (Trsat Castle)

Trsat (Trsat Castle) Review

The medieval castle was built on the foundations of a prehistoric fort. In the early 1800s it was bought by an Austrian general of Irish descent, who converted it into a kind of pre-Disneyland confection that even includes a Greek temple with Doric columns. Today it hosts a popular café, offering some stunning views of the Kvarner Bay; throughout the summer, open-air theater performances and concerts take place here. Across the street, the pilgrimage church of Sveta Marija (St. Mary) was constructed in 1453 to commemorate the Miracle of Trsat, when angels carrying the humble house of the Virgin Mary are said to have landed here. Although the angels later moved the house to Loreto in Italy, Trsat has remained a place of pilgrimage. The pilgrimage path up to Trsat begins in the city center, close to Titov trg, at a bridge across the Rjecina. It passes through a stone gateway, then makes a long, steep climb up 538 steps. Local bus 1 will get you here, too.