Ljubljana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. The origin of the city's name is unclear. In the Middle Ages, both the river and the town were also known by the German name Laibach. This name was in official use as an endonym until 1918, and it remains frequent as a German exonym, both in common speech and official use.

During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the area. Ljubljana itself was first mentioned in the first half of the 12th century. It was under Habsburg rule from the Middle Ages until the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Situated at the middle of a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, it was the historical capital of Carniola, a Slovene-inhabited part of the Habsburg Monarchy.

The city, with an area of 163.8 square kilometers, is situated in the Ljubljana Basin in Central Slovenia, between the Alps and the Karst.

The city's architecture is a mix of styles. Despite the appearance of large buildings, especially at the city's edge, Ljubljana's historic center remains intact. Although the oldest architecture has been preserved from the Roman period, Ljubljana's downtown got its outline in the Middle Ages.

The central square in Ljubljana is Prešeren Square (Prešernov trg) where the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation is located. Built between 1646 and 1660, it replaced an older Gothic church on the same site.

Ljubljana is famous for its bridges. The most notable bridges of Ljubljana are the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje), the Trnovo Bridge (Trnovski most), the Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most), the Hradecky Bridge (Slovene: Hradeckega most), and the Butchers' Bridge (Mesarski most). The Trnovo Bridge crosses the Gradaščica, whereas the others cross the Ljubljanica.

Each year, over 10,000 cultural events take place in the city, including ten international theater, music, and art festivals. The Ljubljana Festival is one of the two oldest festivals in former Yugoslavia (the Dubrovnik Summer Festival was established in 1950, and the Ljubljana Festival one in 1953).

Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy.

Trieste is located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste and throughout history it has been influenced by its location at the crossroads of Latin, Slavic, and Germanic cultures. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of Italian territory lying between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city.

Trieste was one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy. In the 19th century, it was the most important port of one of the Great Powers of Europe. As a prosperous seaport in the Mediterranean region, Trieste became the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague).

Today, the city is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port (Port of Trieste), shipbuilding and financial services.

The main square in Trieste is “The Italian unification Square“ (Piazza Unità d'Italia) built mainly during the Hapsburg monarchy.

In 2012, Lonely Planet listed the city of Trieste as the world's most underrated travel destination. Significant  tourist attraction of the city are Miramare castle (Castello di Miramare), built between 1856 and 1860 from a project by Carl Junker working under Archduke Maximilian, The Castel San Giusto, or Castle of San Giusto, was designed on the remains of previous castles on the site, and took almost two centuries to build, The St. Justus Cathedral. Symbol of Italian Trieste during the Risorgimento, The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity and St Spyridon (1869), and many others.