Dear guests of the Hotel Città di Parenzo,

as usual, here is our monthly column on the most important events, anniversaries and appointments in our beautiful Trieste.

For the month of April, we will focus on the reopening (just in time for the arrival of good weather) of the osmize. An osmiza is a typical restaurant throughout the Karst Plateau where you can enjoy food, drinks and typical products from this area. Widespread throughout the province of Trieste, osmize are also found (less extent) in Istria and the Slovenian Littoral.

The first osmize, according to the most reliable sources, date back to the time of Charlemagne, when the then Tergeste became part of the immense possessions of the Frankish king: under his specific order, all winegrowers in the Empire were granted the right to sell their wine by displaying an ivy branch to mark their activity (a tradition still maintained today). The term osmiza (Slovene: osmica – pronounced: osmiza) comes from osem, meaning ‘eight’, and indicated the initial granting of the eight-day opening period of the osmize. Naturally, the opening period was gradually extended, but the designation has remained the same to this day. In the osmize you can find local wines, cold meats, cheeses, bread and above all eggs, a real must in the Trieste tradition.

Currently, osmizas usually open their doors in the days leading up to Easter, but since it is up to the owners to decide how long they are open, it is not always easy to know whether a particular osmiza is open or not. For this reason, for some years now, portals have been created that are updated day by day on the opening period of osmizas in Trieste and its surroundings. Here are a few examples:

1. osmize.com

2. facebook.com/osmiza

3. instagram.com/insta_osmiza

4. twitter.com/osmizecom

How about you? Did you know osmize? If you would like to visit one during your stay in Trieste, do not hesitate to ask our staff for information: we will be happy to advise you!