Gorizia Car Hire living the city

Gorizia is situated in the far north-eastern part of Italy, in the region of Fiuli-Venezia Giulia, right on the border with Slovenia. It is a city with a strong “border” atmosphere, as over the centuries it has been influenced by different cultures such as Slav, Germanic and Latin.

It is no coincidence, therefore, that the name Gorizia derives from the Slovenian “gorica” (hill) and that until 1947 the city’s territory also included the current Slovenian city of Nova Gorica. This city, together with Istria and a part of Venezia Giulia, was ceded to Yugoslavia with the Treaty of Paris.

Once known as the “Austrian Nice” because it was the favourite destination of the Habsburg bourgeoisie, today Gorizia is not a destination usually included in the classic tourist circuits, although it has so much to offer from a historical and naturalistic point of view.

Visiting Gorizia: all the attractions of the city centre

Gorizia and its outskirts hold many surprises for visitors. So, if you don’t want to miss anything of this beautiful city and its surrounding areas, a car is the best way to explore it.

To rent a car in Gorizia, you can head to the Maggiore office at Ronchi dei Legionari Airport in Trieste, where you can easily rent the perfect vehicle for you. Maggiore offers many different models, from sedans to city cars. In fact, Maggiore’s qualified staff will assist you and recommend a number of additional services, such as child seats or GPS navigation systems, which you can request from the office.

Once you have rented your car, it will take you about 40 minutes to reach the centre of Gorizia, where one of the first things to visit is Piazza Cavour, surrounded by fine buildings such as the 13th-century Palazzo degli Stati Provinciali and the Gothic House of the Ungrispach.

From here you can take Via Rastello on foot and continue towards Piazza Vittoria, the largest piazza in the city, where you will find the Church of Sant’Ignazio, built by the Jesuits at the end of the 17th century, and Neptune’s Fountain, as well as the Torriana House, where Giacomo Casanova stayed in 1773.

Continuing on your tour of the city, other places to see in Gorizia include the Duomo, dedicated to the patron saints Hilary and Tatian, the church of San Giovanni and the 17th-century Church of the Immaculate Conception, while among the most interesting civic buildings to visit are the Giuseppe Verdi Municipal Theatre, built in 1740, Palazzo Coronini Cronberg, which houses the “Character Heads”, an important series of sculptures by the German artist Franz Xavier Messerschmidt, and Palazzo Attems Petzenstein, surrounded by a beautiful Italian-style garden.

However, your tour of the city is not complete without stopping at Gorizia Castle, a magnificent 11th-century structure situated in a dominant position on a hill. From here, you can visit the Museum of Medieval Gorizia, the Synagogue of 1756, which also houses an interesting museum tracing the history of Judaism in the city, the Museum of the Great War, located in the underground section of Casa Dornberg and Casa Tasso, and the Transalpina Station, a place of extreme importance in the city’s history, since it was the border between the Italian and Slovenian areas of Nova Gorica.

Finally, Gorizia also offers the Parco della Rimembranza (Memorial Park), built to commemorate the victims of the First World War, the Viatori Garden where you can lose yourself in the beauty of nature surrounded by flowers of different species, and the Sacrario Militare di Oslavia (Oslavia Military Memorial), an imposing cylindrical structure located about two kilometres from the city.

Before setting off to discover the villages near Gorizia, we suggest you try the city’s typical cuisine, which combines Friulian, Trieste and Central European influences. Try the “blecs” (pasta cut into strips) seasoned with roast sauce, “jota” (stew) and ”gubana goriziana” (cake filled with nuts, raisins, and candied fruit).

The most picturesque villages around Gorizia

With a rental car you can get away from the city and explore its outskirts, where characteristic villages are waiting to be discovered.

Take Regional Road 351 and in just 15 minutes you will reach Gradisca d’Isonzo, a village located on the right bank of the River Isonzo where you can see the majestic Fortress and the beautiful Duomo of Saints Peter and Paul. Driving another 10 km will take you to Cormons, a village located in the Collio at the foot of Mount Quarin. Here you can visit the Castle, Duomo of Sant’Adalberto and the Church of San Giorgio, and Medea, a small town known mainly for its majestic Ara Pacis Mundi built in 1950.

Since you are in this area, don’t miss a day in Collio Goriziano, an area of great natural charm also known for the production of both white and red DOC wines.

You can end your tour of the area surrounding Gorizia by heading to Aquileia, a museum city located just 30 km away and renowned for the beauty of its archaeological area, declared a World Heritage Site in 1998.

Gorizia and its surrounding areas hide many places to be discovered, allowing you to enjoy a unique holiday in the magical borderland.