A white pearl standing on the Trieste littoral, the Castle of Miramare is a symbol of the city. It was built between 1856 and 1860 in an enchanting panoramic position overlooking the Gulf of Trieste for the Archduke Maximilian of Hapsburg and his wife Charlotte of Belgium. The castle - which was designed in an eclectic style by the Austrian architect Carl Junker - stands in perfect synthesis between nature and art, harmoniously blending elements of the Gothic, Mediaeval and Renaissance styles as was the architectural fashion of the time.
This luxurious residence, which was often visited by the Empress Sissi, today houses a museum and still contains its original furniture by the craftsmen Franz and Julius Hofmann. The more intimate ground floor was used for the private apartments of the Archduke himself, while on the first floor are the magnificent reception rooms decorated by sumptuous tapestries and carpets and the Imperial coats-of-arms.
The castle is set in a magnificent garden, with sculptures and many highlyprized botanical specimens. Just before the entrance are the stables - now a display area - and the castelletto where the Duke of Savoia-Aosta lived in the 1930's.