Il Carso

The Carso is one of the symbols of Trieste, one of the incomparable marvels of this region, and one of the most evocative natural enviroments in the whole of Europe. The Carso is the characteristic high plain which is spread to the East and South-East of the city. It is more than 40 kilometres long and 5 kilometres wide on average. The people of Trieste love this place more than anywhere else, and many people make excursions here on Sundays. The Carso is mainly built of limestone and dolomitic rock. Its formation, which began around 120 million years ago, is due to the sedimentation of microrganisms (animals, vegatables, and molluscs) in a vast sea of which the Mediterranean is just a part. The remains of these microrganisms were deposited on the bottom of the sea and built up layers of white mud which solidified to form stone. The Carso has been modelled into many bizzarre forms because of its exposure to surface water and atmospheric conditions over the last 15-20 million years. Today it is a unique place. The main characteristic of the karstic countryside is that there is no superficial water network. The only visible water course can be found in Val Rosandra. The other short water courses which can be found on the plain, disappear underground and then reappear after having run underground for some time. This has created a countryside which appears rocky, arid, and full of hidden dangers and legends. There are a lot of caves in this area (some of which have never been explored); the most famous is the Grotta Gigante - it is so big that it could easily contain the basilica of St. Peter's, and it is in the Guinness book of records for this reason. On the Carso, which mainly faces the sea (this contrast gives life to an astonishing landscape), the Mediterranean scrub lives alongside continental and Alpine flora. Oaks, ashes, and juniper shrubs alternate with young woods of Scots pine, spruces, beeches, and plane trees. There are also clearings, moors, canyons, and the typical dry white walls built by the peasants of this area. The fauna is also very rich, with fallow deer, roe deer, dormice, hares, hedgehogs, moles, numerous types of birds, and many different reptiles, including the unusual olm, a blind amphibian which lives in total darkness in caves. As well as the numerous, typical hamlets of this region, there is also a large Slovenian community and many of the road signs are written in two languages. There are 150 restaurants, farm holiday centres, and "osmizze", typical eating places which are family-run and serve local products such as wine and cheese. It is a landscape full of beauty and has much to be discovered. For further information contact the Azienda di Promozione Turismo on the number indicated.

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