My husband and I visited the Risiera di San Sabba when we were in Trieste for a day earlier this…read moresummer. Trieste is a fascinating place. At different points in its history, it has been a part of the Roman Empire (pre 935), the Byzantine Empire (476-567), the Republic of Venice (1368-1369), the Holy Roman Empire (1382-1806), the First French Empire (1809-1814), and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1814-1922). After being a free territory from 1947-1954, it joined Italy. But a visit to the Risiera di San Sabba taught me a lot about one period of Trieste's history that I knew practically nothing about - Trieste was a part of the Operational Zone of the Adriatic Littoral (OZAK), a Nazi-occupied territory that included parts of present-day Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia from 1943-1945. The Risiera was first used as a rice-husking facility. But when Trieste was part of OZAK, German occupation forces used the Risiera as a concentration camp for the detention and killing of political prisoners and a transit camp for Jews, most of whom were deported from San Sabba to Auschwitz. The Risiera is now a national monument and museum. They have audio guides in many languages, and we spent a few hours learning from the audio guides and the museum as well. It was incredibly moving, and I learned a lot from our visit. I'm so glad we made time to visit the Risiera, because without visiting it, I might not have learned so much about what life was like for the residents of this area during WWII. If you have time, I recommend you make time for a visit here. As survivors and veterans of WWII age and pass away, places like the Risiera become ever more important to visit and experience and learn from.

What used to be a rice processing plant turns into a working/concentration camp during WW2…read more This museum is well worth a visit. It is number 20 bus from town or a 5 km walk A sad experience but something we need to remember

This is a villa that was built by the 'doge di Venezia' many centuries ago. There is a special room…read morebuilt for Napoleon. The villa now is a museum and can be visited inside as well as the beautiful park behind it. If you like arts, paintings, architecture ... This is a must. Enjoy

This place was awesome. I cant remember most of the history, only that Napoleon used it once. It…read morehas his Armour suit on display. Dang that guy was short! Very very cool do not miss if you are driving that way.

I visited the Museo Revoltella ealier this summer when my husband and I were in Trieste for a day…read moreon a road trip from Zagreb to Ljubljana. I love an art museum, but the museum wasn't one of the highlights of our day in Trieste. The building was confusingly laid out, so maybe I missed some of the collection, but the permanent collection didn't wow me. I did enjoy the period rooms and the Van Gogh exhibit. But the highlight of the museum for me was the building itself - it's stunning. Overall, it wasn't a standout museum to me, but it's a nice museum to visit if you're in Trieste and want to take in a little art!

The Palazzo Ducale also known as Doge's Palace is a must visit while in Venice. It's located in the…read morefamous St Marks square right next to St Mark's Basilica. It got its name from the Duke or ruler of Venice. Inside you will see high gold ceilings, an old armory that stored historic weapons, prison cells where you can look out a tiny hole to the Bridge of Sighs. We booked our tour here with Get Your Guide which included a tour of St Marks Basilica. Expect to spend at least a couple of hours here. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes since you will be doing a lot of walking in and around the grounds. Our tour guide spoke English the entire time which was helpful so we got to learn the history and feel first hand of the prisoners here. It was first built in the 14th century and then rebuilt to make it more grander each time.

Palazzo Ducale or the Doge's Palace was one of my favorite parts of my trip to Venice. Ducale or…read moreDoge means Duke. The Duke was the highest governing position in Venice, and this is once where they lived. While strolling St. Mark's Square I already admired the beauty of the building. The building has gothic architecture with influences from the Byzantine times, Islamic and European Medieval styles. My camera does not do its' beauty justice. The tickets to Doge's Palace are time entry tickets, but they didn't seem to be too strict compared to other museums. Tickets are 37€/person. There is a baggage check in area for large items like a backpack, at no cost. It's nice because my boyfriend and I left our stuff there, even things that weren't required to be checked so we walked around more lightly. I only kept my phone for photos. One of the first things I remember seeing is the snitch mailbox. In the olden days the citizens were encouraged to rat on one another and they can leave anonymous tips for the government here. Unfortunately as a result many were wrongfully imprisoned... and there is a full on prison in the later ends of the tour. It was really scary to walk through. On a more positive note, there had the most stunning golden staircase and one of the most incredible largest paintings in the world, the Il Parasido by Jacopo Tintoretto. A must visit when visiting Venice!

I'm obsessed with every thing about Peggy Guggenheim & the area of Dorsoduro that surrounds the…read moreCollection. Just a delightful home on the Grand Canal, small & intimate with such diversity that the moment we left I was already craving a revisit. Beautiful garden memorial to Peggy & her beloved dogs. "Peggy's ashes are buried her beloved pooches are also with her. This is the only case in the world where the creator of a museum is buried inside" The courtyard is peaceful and allows for a few areas to reflect before or after visiting the collection inside. Of course, the delight is the canal entrance to the terrace showcasing the bronze Marino Marini "Angel of the City" statue of a rider on a horse with outstretched hands and an erect phallus that is said to once upon a time be detachable to prevent the nuns who were passing by from seeing it. Eventually stolen enough times that it was soldered in place. What a place !! What an island !

Mega over-crowded! We bought tickets online because it may "sell out". I don't think they would…read moreever sell out-seems packing hundreds of people into very small rooms and hallways was just fine. Large student groups of uninterested kids and bougie aficionados with no self-awareness abound. Not sure if the art or people watching was more insufferable. We spent about 20 min inside before we bailed. Also, 90% of the art looks like what second graders produce and parents would hang on a fridge. Want to see art? Walk thru any of the art galleries with photography and oil paintings for sale-far better plan. Not sure how this gets nearly 5 stars. During the very busy season this place must be even more insane. How about limit the crowds, especially for those with the foresight to pre-purchase tickets to avoid what we experienced.

Worth a trip to the Gallerie dell' Accademia when visiting Venezia…read more I recommend lunch or dinner at Al Vechio Maragon (nearby) after the visiting the museum.

500 to 600 year-old works of art including Michelangelo and Bosch. But the highlight is undoubtedly…read morethe vitruvian man by da Vinci. It is worth the price of the entry alone. It sits behind a closed curtain for 20 minutes then they uncover it for another 20 minutes. They say it will be on display for one year. And then it is stored in a dark room where no one can see it for eight years. They do this routine to avoid damaging the sensitive material.