Viale Romolo Gessi (Cruising)

Viale Romolo Gessi runs along the wooded hillside above central Trieste, and the gardens and quieter stretches of the road have long appeared in Italian gay guides as an evening cruising (battuage) area. Activity is casual and after-dark, and it is entirely public space with no facilities. Italy is broadly tolerant and homosexuality has been legal since 1889, but discretion is expected and users should be mindful of passers-by and parked cars. It sits closer to the city centre than the more secluded coastal coves.