Of all the Habsburg creations perhaps the most beautiful one is the Miramare castle, located at an idyllic peninsula a couple kilometers west of Trieste. It was commisioned by archduke Maximillian of Habsburg, brother of kaiser Franz Joseph and he also moved there with his wife, Charlotte of Belgium in 1860. But they stayed at the castle only for 4 years, as they soon departed to Mexico, where Maximillian was shot.
Perhaps the biggest attraction of the castle is its park of 22 hectares (54 acres), designed by the archduke. Everything was landscaped and filled with many different tropical plants. Small harbour, fountains, statues, stairs other smaller buildings were built around the park. You can take a walk there for free and treat yourself to some gelato or caffee espresso. The inside of the castle has a small fee.
The inside of the castle is today a museum, which houses lavish furniture of Maximillian and his wife, an exposition of the history of the castle. There are also many other interesting rooms, like music room or throne room. There are also many temporary expositions, that change all the time. Since the castle is nicely located on the coast between crags like Costiera/Sistiana/Aurisina and Napoleonica, we can visit it on our way there or back, even if just for a short scenic stroll.