On arriving in Trieste, I always have to remind myself that I'm actually in Italy. This buzzing, cosmopolitan melting pot prospered for 500 years under Austrian rule as the vital maritime port of global trade for the Habsburg Empire, and only officially became part of modern-day Italy in 1954.

It feels closer in spirit to Vienna than Venice, even though its immense city square, lined by opulent palaces with one side magnificently opening out onto the Adriatic Sea, bears the solemn name Piazza Unita d’Italia. When I first started coming here, this was an edgy, moody city at the frontline of the Balkan conflicts, but the Trieste I discover today is transformed into an exciting Central European crossroads, with lively literary cafes, a vibrant arts scene and fabulous seafood.