Trip to Trsat Castle, Rijeka

On the second day of our trip we decided to explore the famous Trsat Castle, towering high above the city. 🏰

When you say Rijeka, most people picture a harbor, ships and busy streets… But drive just a little further and you find yourself somewhere with the whole city and the sea laid out before you.

The way up and cheap admission 🚖

As the crow flies, the castle is only a short distance from the city center, but walking up that brutal hill in the heat wasn’t something we fancied. So we ordered a Bolt, which took us up comfortably for just a few euros.

The castle sits on a steep hill, so even though the car drops you off close by, you still have to walk the rest of the way and climb up on foot from the road. But trust me, anyone can manage it, and that bit of effort is absolutely worth it.

A huge bonus is that admission to the whole castle grounds is very cheap. The ticket costs €3, which is about 73 CZK. But it’s better to check the admission prices on the website before your visit, because in October it’s probably even cheaper.

The way to the gate of Trsat Castle

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Rich history and dragon statues 🐉

The castle itself has an incredibly rich history. It was once a strategic Roman fortress and later belonged to the famous Frankopan family. In the 19th century it was rebuilt by Count Laval Nugent, who turned it into a family residence and even had a small Greek-style temple built there, inscribed with MIR JUNAKA (Peace of the Heroes). Right in front of it stand fascinating dragon statues.

There’s even a stylish café within the castle grounds, so you can grab a drink there and simply soak up the historic atmosphere. 🍹

We spent a lot of time here wandering around, discovering hidden little lanes and, of course, taking photos, because it’s genuinely photogenic everywhere you look.

The castle tower, staircase and stone lanes

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Dragon statues, ramparts and an old cannon

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A breathtaking view 🌅

And that view? It was pure beauty. The view of all of Rijeka, the endlessly blue sea and the harbor below us literally took our breath away.

We even climbed all the way up to the very top of the castle tower. I have to admit that up there the height got to me quite a bit, but that panoramic view was worth the fear.

View of Rijeka and the sea from the ramparts

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When we turned around to face the other side, we saw a completely different world – a deep green valley, huge highway bridges and tunnels cut into the rock. That contrast between history and modern engineering was breathtaking.

The Rječina canyon with bridges and tunnels on the other side of the castle

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Rijeka by night and the omnipresent seagulls 🌆

From the castle we took a Bolt back down to the center for a late lunch. Since it started raining pretty heavily that afternoon, we had to adjust our plans a bit. Toward evening we went for a walk around town, and the city had its own charm at night too. Rijeka is quite something with its evening lights as well.

Rijeka by night

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And by the way, there’s one thing I haven’t told you about Rijeka yet. There are seagulls. And not like you occasionally spot one. They’re simply EVERYWHERE. Sitting on cars, on streetlamps, on park benches, walking around on the ground, occupying rooftops and resting on boats in the harbor.

They’re like the city’s unofficial rulers. You get used to them pretty quickly, but at first we found it quite fascinating and fun to watch. 🙂

Seagulls – the unofficial rulers of Rijeka

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I recommend visiting Trsat Castle with all my heart. If you’re ever in Rijeka, this is a place you simply can’t skip.

And where did we go the next day? That was something completely different again, but I’ll write about that in another article. 🙂