If I were Bill Gates or Elon Musk, I would build a castle in this very place. The Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian had a similar opinion when he built this castle in 1860…
Legend has it that he found himself in this place after a shipwreck and wanted to build a house here for himself and his wife Charlotte of Belgium.
The castle is located in the most beautiful place in the large Trieste Bay, 9 km from the town of the same name, and you cannot miss it when you arrive by boat.
I am not so lucky, like most, I came by car. You have to leave them outside the driveway gate and walk the rest of the way.
The road is flat, the climb is not big and wheelchair users will easily overcome it.
Besides, the road goes by the sea.
Covered with trees, it announces the beauty you will be exposed to.
Once you climb up to the castle, you have two options.
The first is to enter the castle immediately, and the second is to visit the surroundings before entering.
The walk through the park is free, and the entrance to the castle is paid. The entrance fee is €12.
Considering that the castle was built at the beginning of the 20th century, I did not expect much from the visit, in terms of accessibility.
I got ready to enjoy the garden, which extends over 22 hectares and into which Maximilian invested a lot of effort, bringing plants from various parts of the world.
However, when you are greeted by a welcome ramp like this, then all doubts disappear and you know that this is going to be a great experience.
In this two-story castle, there is an elevator big enough to fit a wheelchair, and they also have their own, which they kindly offered me.
Tip: come as late as possible, it will be less crowded, both for tickets and for taking pictures.
The castle was built by Karl Junker, an architect who built waterworks and aqueducts before this. It can’t be said that he did a bad job when a staircase like this welcomes you as a prelude to what’s to come.
Furniture, tapestries, ceilings, vases, every detail was thought of.
Franz Joseph and his wife Sissy, Queen Elisabeth and many other noble heads came here as guests.
Franz Ferdinand also stayed here, two months before the assassination. There is a legend attached to the castle that it is haunted and that an evil fate awaits anyone who spends the night here. I didn’t check.
Archduke Maximilian was above all a sailor, which can be sensed in some rooms.
Even kings go to this room on foot.
A royal bed goes hand in hand with a royal throne.
The walk through the castle is very intense, because there are a lot of details to pay attention to.
The castle has escaped the evil fate of some others, so the furniture is completely original.
Wheelchairs can easily move through the castle.
There is also a small chapel in the castle.
Archduke Maximilian did not get to enjoy this beauty. Shortly after the completion of construction, he was called to report for duty and sail to Mexico with his wife.
He did not have a happy fate there, he was killed by Mexican rebels when he was only 35 years old.
Charlotte returned to the castle to grieve. It was recorded that she soon lost her mind and was taken away from here permanently.
By the way, the castle got its name from a similar one in Portugal and from the expression Mirar el mar, i.e. a view of the sea.
And indeed, from whichever window or vantage point you take a look, the view is spectacular.
The passage through the terrace is wide enough for my wheelchair.
The view of the Bay of Trieste is incredible.
Although I expected to spend time in the garden, and the castle would remain inaccessible, it turned out the other way around.
One part is under the stairs, and there are small gravel on the paths, so I couldn’t really look into all of this spectacular garden.
However, when you see plants from Brazil, Mexico, and Lebanon in one place, it is clear to you that the owner has made the most of this garden. Although he didn’t get to enjoy it, his vision remains for the rest of us to admire.
The visit, which I highly recommend to everyone, should be planned in the spring or early autumn, because it can be hot.
I was there in May and this scene awaited me from the terrace – jellyfish.
If I had to choose an absolute must when you are in the area, it would be a visit to Miramare Castle.
The name explains everything.
Have you been to Mira Mare Castle?
Did I miss something?
Traveled and enjoyed,
Marko Veličković