by InTrieste
The hilltop village of Opicina, overlooking the Gulf of Trieste and the Adriatic beyond, will once again host its autumn festival this October, coinciding with the city’s most famous maritime event, the Barcolana.
Now in its tenth edition, “Autunno a Opicina — Foglie Rosse sul Carso, Vele Bianche sul Mare” (“Autumn in Opicina — Red Leaves on the Karst, White Sails on the Sea”) was presented at Trieste’s City Hall on Monday. The festival will run from October 3 through October 12, aligning with the 57th edition of the Barcolana, the world’s largest sailing regatta.
Organized by the local consortium Insieme a Opicina – Skupaj na Opčinah, in collaboration with the Municipality of Trieste, the event is designed to showcase the cultural, culinary and natural richness of the Carso, the limestone plateau that rises above the city and offers sweeping views of the Adriatic.
This year’s program blends tradition with novelty. Visitors can expect themed shop displays, tastings of local food and wine, exhibitions of traditional crafts, children’s entertainment, guided tours of wartime bunkers, and even horse-drawn carriage rides along the scenic Napoleonica trail — reserved for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. Sporting events include an orienteering challenge and a countryside slalom race for young participants.
Food kiosks featuring specialties from local associations will be set up at the Obelisk, a panoramic landmark above the city, and at the entrance to the Napoleonica from Prosecco. Menus across Opicina will highlight regional products, including honey, cured meats, cheese, and wines from the Karst.
Cultural offerings are also at the center of the program. The painter Fulvio Cazzador will exhibit works inspired by the Barcolana, while artisans will present lacework and handmade crafts. Trieste Trasporti will display a historic Opicina tram car at the village terminus, offering a nostalgic reminder of one of Trieste’s most distinctive modes of transport.
At the press conference, Serena Tonel, Trieste’s deputy mayor and councilor for economic policy, underlined the growing role of Opicina in expanding the reach of the Barcolana beyond the waterfront. “We wanted the regatta to embrace not only the sea but also the Carso,” she said, noting the plateau’s autumn colors and panoramic vantage points over the gulf.
Mitja Gialuz, president of the Barcolana organizing committee, described Opicina as “a strategic bridge between the city and the Carso” and praised the festival’s ability to draw residents and visitors to rediscover the plateau’s heritage and landscape.
Support for the initiative also came from the cooperative bank ZKB, whose president, Adriano Kovačič, highlighted the vitality of Opicina, pointing to new businesses, exhibitions and international sporting events that reflect the area’s renewed dynamism.
Nadia Bellina, president of the Opicina consortium, thanked local associations, businesses and institutions for their collaboration, emphasizing the festival’s growth over the years.
The festival will culminate on Sunday, October 12, when thousands are expected to gather along the Obelisk, the Napoleonica, and other lookout points to witness the mass start of the Barcolana regatta at 10:30 a.m., with sails filling the gulf below.
