2024 - June - Trieste - Rilke Hiking Trail (Sentiero Rilke) and the Castello di Duino

Now, with around 200,000 inhabitants, Trieste is not a megacity, but a little relaxation in nature can't hurt.

My hiking app also showed me various options in the area, but this time I followed the tip of another travel blogger and decided on the Rilke hiking trail (Sentiero Rilke).

This offers beautiful views and the Castello di Duino is an exquisite destination. The castle is worth the trip in itself.

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke was also a guest here in 1911 and 1912 and wrote his “Duino Elegies” during that time. The coastal hiking trail was named after him in his honour.

Since Trieste has a well-developed bus network, we also traveled to the Rilke hiking trail by bus. The exit was the campsite (Sistiana Campeggio / Camping Village Mare Pineto). From here we had to walk 600 m along the country road to get to the first forest path. Unfortunately, we didn't find any other "entrance". Perhaps there is one behind the campsite, but Google maps didn't show it.

Once you're on the Rilke hiking trail, you can't go wrong. The castle can be seen from many places along the trail. Unfortunately, we had very cloudy weather, so my photos aren't as informative as they could be.

At the end of the path there is another small trap waiting: Although there is a sign with an arrow pointing to the Castello di Duino, we missed it and ended up on a private training area.

So you have to walk a little further around the outside. The castle can only be visited with an entrance fee, but it is worth it. Buying the combination ticket to get to the castle ruins, which are only 5 minutes away, is also a good investment. From here you can enjoy more beautiful views.

Back at the Castello di Duino, you should definitely admire the interior of the castle, including the Palladian staircase. As a photography enthusiast, I found the entire property worth seeing and couldn't stop taking pictures.

For the return journey to Trieste you can take the same route or take the bus from Duino.