The connection between the Bora and Trieste is a classic. And rightly so.

The cold wind from the North that frequently sweeps the town and the surrounding valleys is part of Trieste’s history and social life. The “Triestini” love the Bora, it brings them liveliness and a feeling of belonging, even if it is often the cause of damage and discomfort.
This illustrious citizen arrives suddenly, with strong gusts that send tiles flying off the roofs, blows over motorbikes parked in the roads and throws you off balance as you walk. Then it stops, for a moment, tricking you into thinking it’s died down, only to return, as suddenly and as strong as before.
It can last a few days (tradition has it that the Bora blows for an odd number of days: one, three or five …) or even for weeks. It can be either a “light” or “dark” wind: in the former case, it comes with good weather; in the latter it brings bad conditions, grey skies, rain or snow and a mountain of broken umbrellas which fill the rubbish bins in town.

Why so strong and why in Trieste? Because it blows from East or North East towards the sea and when it hits the obstacle of the Alps or Julian Pre-Alps, the masses of air thread their way into the open fissures, the only way through and which give the wind its speed, reaching its highest point in town.
The Bora blows more or less all year round, with some periods when it is more frequent: from late autumn to the beginning of spring, in the colder hours, and blows horizontally, pushing down from above.