Miramare Park: A Botanical Treasure Near Trieste

The Miramare Park, located on the rocky promontory of Grignano near Trieste, was originally a barren karst landscape. Archduke Maximilian of Austria commissioned Carl Junker for the park's design and initially hired gardener Josef Laube for the botanical aspects, later replaced by Anton Jelinek. Large quantities of soil were imported from Styria and Carinthia, while nurseries, mainly from Lombardy-Venetia, supplied a rich variety of trees and shrubs, many of non-European origin. Work began in spring 1856 and was closely supervised by Maximilian, who continued to take an interest in the garden even after moving to Mexico, from where he sent numerous plants. The eastern area features a woodland layout that follows the terrain's orography, with trees alternating with grassy spaces, winding paths, gazebos, and ponds, reflecting the romantic English landscape garden style. The southwestern zone, sheltered from the wind, contains geometrically arranged areas, such as the Italian garden in front of the Kaffeehaus and the well-structured flowerbeds around the small harbor.