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Whether it’s for the delectable cuisine, mild Mediterranean climate, or ancient heritage, Italy is on the radar of millions of Americans flying across the pond this winter, and what better way to experience one of Europe’s most beautiful countries than by train?
Train travel is seeing a resurgence across the Old Continent this year, with multiple routes launching between key destinations and even different countries, and in highly sought-after Italy, it’s no exception:
We’ve had a sleeper launch from Rome all the way to Puglia, not to mention a cross-border service linking Italy to Slovenia and Croatia, and now, a new high-speed train is set to improve links between two of the country’s top cultural hotspots.
This season, U.S. travelers can travel on a ‘red arrow’ from Naples, the capital of Southern Italy, all the way to Gorizia, an underrated gem in the North:
Everything You Need To Know About The New Train
As of September 15, tourists have been able to board Frecciarossa trains from Naples, in Campania, to Gorizia, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, without the usual train switches in transit hubs, thus linking the two very distinct, fascinating-all-the-same cities for the first time.
There are stops scheduled in Rome, Florence, Bologna and Venice, but unlike previously, travelers will no longer have to resort to multiple-train routes getting from the capital of Italy’s sun-drenched South, to the far Northeast.
Tickets for the Frecciarossa from Naples to Gorizia start from only $46 for a one-way trip, with the departure times seen below:
From Naples to Gorizia
- Naples Central – 4:09 pm
- Rome – 5:19 pm
- Florence – 7:20 pm
- Bologna Centrale – 8:01 pm
- Venice (Mestre)* – 9:37 pm
- Gorizia – 11.30 pm
*The train does not service Venezia-Santa Lucia Station, which is in the city of Venice itself; instead, it calls at Venezia-Mestre, in Mestre, the neighboring municipality, an 8-minute train ride away.
From Gorizia to Naples
- Gorizia – 6:12 am
- Venice (Mestre) – 8:40 am
- Bologna – 10:02 am
- Florence – 10:48 am
- Rome – 12:50 pm
- Naples – 2:03 pm
Though they’re part of the same country, Naples and Gorizia couldn’t be further apart if they tried––and indeed, they’re on opposite ends of the railway line:
The Chaotic, Beautiful Capital Of The Italian South
Naples is a bustling Mediterranean metropolis best known for its edgy character: there are none of the over-polished attractions built for the delight of tourists here, as you would expect to find in other picture-perfect Italian destinations.
As we have noted previously, it’s not the kind of place they’ll roll out a red carpet for visitors to walk on: tourism is very much a secondary detail in Naples, where locals unceremoniously go about their lives with ancient Roman ruins and stately piazzas for background.
That’s the beauty of it.
To some it may feel rough, what with the maze of winding streets, chipped ink on pastel facades and hanging laundry between neighboring houses, spanning impossibly-narrow alleys, but it feels authentically Southern Italy, it’s what we mean.
When in Naples, don’t forget to try their greatest culinary triumph––you guessed it, Neapolitan pizza, and La Marsadona might just have the best one––nor pay a visit to the historical ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, two well-preserved Roman settlements once buried beneath volcanic ash.
The Most Slovenian City In Italy
Gorizia, on the other hand, it’s everything you’d expect Italy not to be.
For starters, it not only lines, but spills over the border with Slovenia, being one of a handful of European municipalities administered by not one country, but two:
While the historical Gorizia, or the ‘Old Town’, as you will, lies on the Italian side, the more modern, still-charming New Town is under Slovene jurisdiction.
As you may imagine, you’re not likely to find any of Naples’ Mediterranean appeal here, even though this is, in theory, the same country––Gorizia is staunchly Central European culturally and aesthetically, and being in proximity of the Slavic world, natives have caught more than just some Slovenian lingo.
In strolling around town, you’ll find elegant 17th-century city gates, like an ornate Leopold Gate, majestic Habsburg-era palaces––read Austrian-influenced––and an almost-intact medieval core dominated by a hilltop fortress: you know, the quintessential European combo.
Gorizia’s main attractions may all fall within Italian domain, but as we pointed out before, it’s also indisputably Slovenian in character: even the name comes from a Slovene word, gorica, meaning ‘little mountain’.
As for the cuisine, it is just as Slovene-centered as it is Italian, with both your usual Štruklji (rolled dumplings) and the more mainstream pizza and pasta being served in multi-ethnic restaurants.
If you’re a foodie like us curious to see how the most Slovenian city in Italy fares in the gastronomy front, don’t miss out on Trattoria Turri: their Ljubljanska (baked cheese with steak and ham) tastes heavenly.
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