A MUSICAL CASTLE
We’d checked the distance and the castle seemed achievable from our hotel. Well, Lorraine thought she could walk it, though I had my doubts if she’d survive the climb. Along the flats in the middle of town it was easy but then there came the hill and a statue of Carlo Michelstaedter, a radical Italian philosopher of Jewish extraction whose one and only work was conceived as an undergraduate thesis, but he never saw it in print because he committed suicide in 1910, aged 23.
We troll past a shop with exotic foodstuffs and can’t help but notice some bottled Buderim ginger featured in the window. Just below it was another sign on some wrapped lollies “senza zucchero zenzero AUSTRALIA”, which meant I could buy my sugar free dried ginger right here. It’s a small world.
It was slow and overly warm getting up from there but we took it easy and Castello di Gorizia came into view. Dating back to the 11th century it’s clearly the highest point for miles around.
The chapel-sized Church of Santo Spirito seems like a ticket office on the way to the main attraction. In a park on the opposite side of the road there’s a bust of Gabrielle D’Annunzio, a famous and prolific Italian writer and WWI hero who was hugely influential in the Fascist movement, inspiring Mussolini. He was noted for self-promotion.
From the 11th century Gorizia was an independent county until Austria took over in 1500 and it became a major cultural centre. It was only after the fallout from WWI, when it suffered badly, that it came to be in Italian hands. This once castle-of-the-counts has now been done up as a tourist attraction but it holds a surprise, at least for those of us who hadn’t done their homework properly.
The solid walls are much covered in plant life these days and the parapets are quite impressive from below and when you enter through the gateways the cobblestone walkways add an air of authenticity as you climb their steep angle. Only the base is original though. It went through many rebuilds from the 13th to 16th century and was bombed during WWI before being restored for the final time. The restoration is evident in the variance of the colours in the stonework.

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The surprise was the Sala della Musica (Music Room), a veritable treasure trove of historic musical instruments from woodwind to stringed going back to the 10th century. It was fascinating, not least of all to view a forerunner of the bagpipes that the Irish and Scots have claimed for decades. Their piece de resistance however, is a bone flute, claimed to be the oldest musical instrument in the world. They have a local musical group that plays, it must be something special, but we will never get to hear them.

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Pick from 12 Province of Gorizia Business Hotels with updated room rates, reviews, and availability. Most hotels are fully refundable.

Lobby lounge

Sam Hotel

Monfalcone

Canada

Derrick

SAR 454 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Nov - 24 Nov

Lobby

Best Western Gorizia Palace Hotel

Gorizia

United States

Eric

SAR 363 total

includes taxes & fees

8 Dec - 9 Dec

Outdoor pool

Al Ponte

Gradisca d'Isonzo

United States

Francesca

SAR 562 total

includes taxes & fees

24 Nov - 25 Nov

Interior detail

Europalace Hotel, BW Signature Collection

Monfalcone

Ireland

Michelle

SAR 372 total

includes taxes & fees

21 Nov - 22 Nov

Lunch, dinner served; Italian cuisine, ocean views

Grand Hotel Astoria

Grado

Canada

Sandra

SAR 571 total

includes taxes & fees

21 Dec - 22 Dec

Lunch and dinner served, Regional cuisine

Hotel Abbazia

Grado

Germany

Claus

Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Regional cuisine

Hotel Franz

Gradisca d'Isonzo

United States

Labrado Joel

Daily buffet breakfast for a fee

Hotel Major

Ronchi dei Legionari

Canada

Giancarlo

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Top Province of Gorizia Hotel Reviews

Urban Hotel Design

Urban Hotel Design

10/10 Excellent

"Modern and clean"

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