The Rilke Trail — Sistiana to Duino on the cliff path

The Sentiero Rilke is the shortest great walk in Italy: barely two kilometres of karst cliff between Sistiana bay and the village of Duino, but every step looks eighty metres straight down at the northernmost Adriatic. Rainer Maria Rilke walked here in the winter of 1911–12 as the guest of the princess of Thurn und Taxis at Duino castle, and the opening line of the first Duino Elegy came to him on this path. Continue past the castle to the old village and the Timavo springs for a half-day loop; the return is by the low coast road or the same cliff path at sunset.