After a 30-minute scenic drive along the coast, the first castle to be seen is the impressive Old Duino Castle, clinging to a rocky karst spur on the sea cliffs. Built in 1389, it was constructed on the ruins of a Roman outpost. The location is exquisite and strategic, as it’s the northernmost coastal area where the Mediterranean Sea reaches the European mainland. For many centuries, the castle was a cultural, philosophical, and artistic center. Our next to is Catello di Miramare. Sitting on a rocky outcrop 7km from town, the castle is clearly visible from afar thanks to the whiteness of the karst marble from which it is made. The castle was built around 1855 when the Archduke, who also became Emperor of Mexico, together with his wife Charlotte of Saxony, daughter of the king of Belgium, decided to build a majestic residence overlooking the sea in the surroundings of the Friulian capital, precisely on the promontory of Grignano. The castle's décor reflects Maximilian's wanderlust and the various obsessions of the imperial age: a bedroom modeled to look like a frigate's cabin, ornate orientalist salons, and a red silk-lined throne room. Upstairs, a suite of rooms used by the military hero Duke Amadeo of Aosta in the 1930s is also intact, furnished in the Italian Rationalist style. Maximilian was a keen botanist and the castle boasts 22 hectares of gardens, which burst with the color and scent of rare and exotic trees, more than 2,000 species of different plants from all over the world. Legend has it that Charlotte still wanders the park, calling Maximilian's name. ** Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Depart: 2:30pm Return: 6:30pm