Duino and the Rilke Path

Duino in slovenian Devonis a hamlet in the Municipality of Duino Aurisina/Devin Nabrežina, on the Adriatic coast between Sistiana/Sesljan and Villaggio del Pescatore, north-west of Trieste. The name is primarily linked to the Duino Castle, still inhabited, and to the ruins of the Old Castle next to, both jutting out over the limestone cliffs that drop into the Gulf of Trieste/Tržaški zaliv.

The village is also the arrival—or departure, depending on the direction—point of the Rilke Path, the 1,700-metre scenic walk that crosses the Duino Cliffs Regional Nature Reserve connecting Duino to Sistiana along the cliff edge.

What to see and why it's special

Duino Castle. Built in 1389 by Hugo von Duino on the site of a previous Roman settlement, it has been home to the Princes of Torre e Tasso (Thurn und Taxis) for over four centuries – the same family who managed the postal service in various European states for over 350 years, starting from 1400. Over the centuries, it has hosted figures such as Johann Strauss, Franz Liszt, Gabriele d’Annunzio, Mark Twain, and Rainer Maria Rilke. Local legend has it that Dante Alighieri also stayed there, as a guest of the Patriarch of Aquileia, composing some tercets for the Divine Comedy here – an episode passed down as tradition, not as a documented historical fact. The castle is open to visitors for most of the year, with seasonal opening times and tickets published on the official website.

The Old Castle and the White Lady. Next to the ruins of the Old Castle (10th century) lies a white limestone rock that, when viewed from the sea, resembles a veiled female figure: the White Lady. Local legend links it to Esterina da Portole, wife of a jealous and violent castellan who allegedly threw her into the sea from a narrow path along the walls; petrified by fear, the woman supposedly turned into that rock, and at night it is said that she emerges to wander the castle up to the room where her son slept.

The Rilke Path and the Duino Elegies. The path, restored in 1987 by the Province of Trieste and the Municipality of Duino Aurisina, runs almost flat for 1,700 metres along the edge of the cliffs, between Sistiana and Duino, with parapets at the most exposed points. It was here, in the winter of 1912, that Rainer Maria Rilke — guest of the princess Marie of Thurn and Taxis At Duino Castle — he composed the first two of Duine Elegies (the others followed in the subsequent years, until the completion of the work in 1922; published in 1923 with a dedication to the princess). The opening verse — «Who, if I were to cry out, would hear me from the hosts of angels?» — it is at the origin of the motto of the Corsa della Bora: being here is wonderful.

The Duino Cliffs Regional Nature Reserve. Established by Regional Law no. 42 of 30 September 1996, it extends over 107 hectares in a narrow strip of coastline where the biogeographical transition from Central European to Mediterranean is observed – hence the variety of flora and fauna in the area. The cliffs themselves are of Cretaceous origin, formed by the sedimentation of shells from planktonic organisms on the seabed. Access to the Reserve is free; however, descending to the area between the path and the high-water mark has been prohibited since 1984 for conservation and safety reasons.

An international college in the castle park. managed by the Duino Castle Estate United World College of the Adriatic (United World College), one of the worldwide campuses of this network of pre-university international schools — a detail that makes Duino a place still visited today, not just a historical site.

How to get there

By car. Autostrada A4 Venice–Trieste, exit “Sistiana” (or “Duino-Sistiana”); from the SS14 follow the signs for Duino, then for the Castle. Parking in the hamlet of Duino is FreeThe area near the United World College of the Adriatic, about a 2-minute walk from the castle, is one of the most convenient.

On the bus. Urban line 44 From Trieste Trasporti, from Piazza Oberdan (Trieste) to Duino, with intermediate stops in Roiano, Barcola, Miramare, Contovello, Prosecco, Santa Croce/Križ, Aurisina/Nabrežina, Visogliano and Sistiana/Sesljan — also useful for those who want to get off in Sistiana and walk the Rilke Path to Duino, or vice versa.

By train + on foot. Sistiana-Visogliano station (regional trains), then the Rilke Trail on foot to Duino (1,700 m, 30-40 minutes).

By sea (seasonal). From late May to September Green Dolphin, on the Trieste–Monfalcone route, also stops at Duino and Sistiana.

Access to the Rilke Trail. Free, all year round. Entrance from Sistiana (next to the Infopoint, going up the flight of stairs above the Bay of Sistiana – a short walk from the Bora Village of PortoPiccolo, see the dedicated page). PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bayor from Duino, near the castle.

Duino in La Corsa della Bora

Duino and the Rilke Trail are not a backdrop: they are a true stretch of the route for most of the exhibition's distances.

Family and Half Trail are the first to cross the Sentiero Rilke, which starts at km 3 right after the steep initial climb from the White Cliffs of PortoPiccolo, and reach the village of Duino at km 5, where the first refreshment stop for both races is located—a moment linked to the story of the castle, the White Lady, and the Duino Elegies.

Borderless and TransKarst retrace the same entrance — Sentiero Rilke from km 3, the village of Duino at km 5 — but without stopping: the first aid station for both is further ahead, at Medeazza. Passing through Duino is still a moment in the race's story, with the daytime “Red Ties” aid station in Piazza del Castello.

Trieste Ultra and S1 Bora Ultra, which depart from Trieste Centro in the evening, reach the Rilke Trail from Contovello, in the last stretch before Porto Piccolo — at night, for the first time. The S1 Bora Ultra (116.2 km) is the only race that sees Duino twice: the first at night together with the Trieste Ultra, the second in daylight, after the Porto Picco Base Camp, when the route crosses the village of Duino/Devin again, with the daytime refreshment stop of the Red Ties and Duino Castle, before climbing towards Monte Ermada.

An experience to be had even outside of competition

The Rilke Trail can be walked in 30-40 minutes even without a bib, but it's worth returning for a leisurely stroll: start from Sistiana, a stone's throw from the Bora Village of PortoPiccolo (see the dedicated page). PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay), stop on the cliffs to read the first verses of the Duino Elegies, and conclude the walk with a visit to Duino Castle and the White Lady. The best time for the walk is during the shoulder seasons – late spring or autumn – when the cliffs are less crowded than in the height of summer; in winter, when the bora wind is strong, the exposed section of the path requires more attention.

For a comprehensive overview of the trails of the Trieste Karst, all year round, also see Trail running in Trieste and the Karst.