{"id":100421,"date":"2026-07-23T18:21:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/duino-sentiero-rilke\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T09:51:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T09:51:20","slug":"duino-sentiero-rilke","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/duino-sentiero-rilke\/","title":{"rendered":"Duino and the Rilke Path"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Duino and the Rilke Path<\/h1>\n\n\n

The castle suspended over the cliffs, and the 1,700 metres of path where Rilke wrote his Elegies.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Duino<\/strong> in slovenian Devon<\/strong>is a hamlet in the Municipality of Duino Aurisina\/Devin Nabre\u017eina, on the Adriatic coast between Sistiana\/Sesljan and Villaggio del Pescatore, north-west of Trieste. The name is primarily linked to the Duino Castle<\/strong>, still inhabited, and to the ruins of the Old Castle<\/strong> next to, both jutting out over the limestone cliffs that drop into the Gulf of Trieste\/Tr\u017ea\u0161ki zaliv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The village is also the arrival\u2014or departure, depending on the direction\u2014point of the Rilke Path<\/strong>, the 1,700-metre scenic walk that crosses the Duino Cliffs Regional Nature Reserve<\/strong> connecting Duino to Sistiana along the cliff edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to see and why it's special<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Duino Castle.<\/strong> 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 \u2013 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\u2019Annunzio, 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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Old Castle and the White Lady.<\/strong> 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<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"View
Duino Castle seen from the Sistiana coast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Rilke Path and the Duino Elegies.<\/strong> 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<\/strong> \u2014 guest of the princess Marie of Thurn and Taxis<\/strong> At Duino Castle \u2014 he composed the first two of Duine Elegies<\/strong> (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 \u2014 \u00abWho, if I were to cry out, would hear me from the hosts of angels?\u00bb<\/em> \u2014 it is at the origin of the motto of the Corsa della Bora: being here is wonderful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A competitor running the Sentiero Rilke, between the cliffs of Sistiana and Duino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A competitor running the Sentiero Rilke, among the Cliffs of Duino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Duino Cliffs Regional Nature Reserve.<\/strong> Established by Regional Law no. 42 of 30 September 1996, it extends over 107 hectares<\/strong> in a narrow strip of coastline where the biogeographical transition from Central European to Mediterranean is observed \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An international college in the castle park.<\/strong> managed by the Duino Castle Estate United World College of the Adriatic<\/strong> (United World College), one of the worldwide campuses of this network of pre-university international schools \u2014 a detail that makes Duino a place still visited today, not just a historical site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to get there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By car.<\/strong> Autostrada A4 Venice\u2013Trieste, exit \u201cSistiana\u201d (or \u201cDuino-Sistiana\u201d); from the SS14 follow the signs for Duino, then for the Castle. Parking in the hamlet of Duino is Free<\/strong>The area near the United World College of the Adriatic, about a 2-minute walk from the castle, is one of the most convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the bus.<\/strong> Urban line 44<\/strong> From Trieste Trasporti, from Piazza Oberdan (Trieste) to Duino, with intermediate stops in Roiano, Barcola, Miramare, Contovello, Prosecco, Santa Croce\/Kri\u017e, Aurisina\/Nabre\u017eina, Visogliano and Sistiana\/Sesljan \u2014 also useful for those who want to get off in Sistiana and walk the Rilke Path to Duino, or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By train + on foot.<\/strong> Sistiana-Visogliano station (regional trains), then the Rilke Trail on foot to Duino (1,700 m, 30-40 minutes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By sea (seasonal).<\/strong> From late May to September Green Dolphin<\/strong>, on the Trieste\u2013Monfalcone route, also stops at Duino and Sistiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access to the Rilke Trail.<\/strong> Free, all year round. Entrance from Sistiana (next to the Infopoint, going up the flight of stairs above the Bay of Sistiana \u2013 a short walk from the Bora Village of PortoPiccolo, see the dedicated page). PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay<\/a>or from Duino, near the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duino in La Corsa della Bora<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Duino and the Rilke Trail are not a backdrop: they are a true stretch of the route for most of the exhibition's distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Race<\/th>Rilke Path<\/th>Duino (village\/castle)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
S1 Borin (4 km)<\/a><\/td>Not passed<\/td>Not passed<\/td><\/tr>\n
S1 Family Hike & Trail (14.5 km)<\/a><\/td>Yes \u2014 starts at km 3<\/td>Yes \u2014 km 5 (aid station)<\/td><\/tr>\n
S1 Half Trail (23 km)<\/a><\/td>Yes \u2014 starts at km 3<\/td>Yes \u2014 km 5 (aid station)<\/td><\/tr>\n
S1 Borderless Trail (35.8 km)<\/a><\/td>Yes \u2014 starts at km 3<\/td>Yes \u2014 km 5, the route crosses the village before the Medeazza aid station<\/td><\/tr>\n
S1 TransKarst Ultra (55 km)<\/a><\/td>Yes \u2014 starts at km 3<\/td>Yes \u2014 km 5, the route crosses the village before the Medeazza aid station<\/td><\/tr>\n
S1 Trieste Ultra (61.2 km)<\/a><\/td>Yes, final stretch before arrival, from Contovello to PortoPiccolo<\/td>Not passed<\/td><\/tr>\n
S1 Bora Ultra (116.2 km)<\/a><\/td>Yes, twice: at night towards Base Vita and during the day, departing from PortoPiccolo<\/td>Yes, in the second part of the race, after the Life Base<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Family and Half Trail<\/strong> are the first to cross the Sentiero Rilke, which starts at km 3<\/strong> right after the steep initial climb from the White Cliffs of PortoPiccolo, and reach the village of Duino at km 5<\/strong>, where the first refreshment stop for both races is located\u2014a moment linked to the story of the castle, the White Lady, and the Duino Elegies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Competitors
The cliffs between Duino and Sistiana, along the route of the Corsa della Bora<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Borderless and TransKarst<\/strong> retrace the same entrance \u2014 Sentiero Rilke from km 3, the village of Duino at km 5 \u2014 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 \u201cRed Ties\u201d aid station in Piazza del Castello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trieste Ultra and S1 Bora Ultra<\/strong>, which depart from Trieste Centro in the evening, reach the Rilke Trail from Contovello, in the last stretch before Porto Piccolo \u2014 at night, for the first time. The S1 Bora Ultra<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An experience to be had even outside of competition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>), 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 \u2013 late spring or autumn \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a comprehensive overview of the trails of the Trieste Karst, all year round, also see Trail running in Trieste and the Karst<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Duino (in sloveno Devin) \u00e8 una frazione del Comune di Duino Aurisina\/Devin Nabre\u017eina, sulla costa adriatica tra Sistiana\/Sesljan e il Villaggio del Pescatore, a nord-ovest di Trieste. Il nome \u00e8 legato soprattutto al Castello di Duino, tuttora abitato, e alle rovine del Castello Vecchio accanto, entrambi a picco sulle falesie calcaree che scendono nel Golfo… <\/p>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":100457,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"full-width","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-100421","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/100421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100421"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/100421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100475,"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/100421\/revisions\/100475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.s1trail.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}