Transalpina/Europe Square

Piazza della Transalpina is a border crossing square that straddles the boundary between Italy and Slovenia in Gorizia and Nova Gorica. The space functions as an open pedestrian zone where people move freely between both sides, with the border now serving as a symbolic line rather than a physical barrier.

After World War II, the square was divided in 1947 by a border between Italy and Yugoslavia, secured with barbed wire and concrete barriers during the Cold War. Following Slovenia's independence in 1991 and its accession to the European Union, these barriers gradually disappeared, transforming the square into a symbol of cooperation rather than division.

The square takes its name from the Trans-Alpine railway that once connected the region. Today, people from both countries use this space freely to meet and interact, showing how a once-divided area has become a natural gathering point.

The square is easily accessible on foot and completely free to visit, with no admission required. Visitors can cross between Italy and Slovenia at any time and observe the landscape on both sides of the former border zone.

The Nova Gorica railway station displayed a red star and a Serbo-Croatian slogan reading "We build socialism" until 1991, reflecting the political messaging of the Yugoslav era. This historical detail shows how Cold War propaganda shaped the physical and everyday character of the border region.