Castle of Duino
Castle of Duino
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
711 reviews
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Carla S
20 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
A splendid location, with a suggestive view. The castle, however, was a disappointing result: the rooms that can be visited are rather neglected and almost completely devoid of indications. The garden is small and has no valuable elements.
Written April 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patti & Paolo
Trieste, Italy1,156 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Beautiful private residence of the Princes della Torre and Tasso. We visit several furnished rooms and a couple of collections of objects and personal memories of the family. Nice to see original photos of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, personal letters between members of the various monarchies (all related to each other) of the last century.
Written September 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David M
Brandon, FL332 contributions
Aug 2021
My wife and I were vacationing in the Trieste area and visited this castle, based on our internet research.
We really enjoyed our time at the castle. The castle and its gardens are beautiful. The views of the Adriatic Sea are amazing, especially if you walk up the tower.
The WWII bunker, built by the Germans and later used by the British, are interesting and historic - something to see.
Highly recommended!
We really enjoyed our time at the castle. The castle and its gardens are beautiful. The views of the Adriatic Sea are amazing, especially if you walk up the tower.
The WWII bunker, built by the Germans and later used by the British, are interesting and historic - something to see.
Highly recommended!
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Antonia L
26 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
This is a stanning castle I would recommend to visit. Apparently the ruins of the old castle can be visited but when I went it was closed. The new castle offers an amazing view on the adriatic sea on one side and a view of well kept gardens on the other side. No audio guides or clear explanations to help visitors to navigate among the important families who owned the castle or of the notorious people, such as Rilke or Freud who attended the castle. Also on a roasting day be aware there are no cafes or kiosks to buy drinks, so remember to buy something to hydrate yourself at the tickets shop. It is possible to climb up to the tower for a fabulous view and also visit the bunker build by the nazi during the second World war that later was managed by the allies. I found the story of the bunker very interesting and a bit emotional.
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hansa718
Bavaria, Germany1 contribution
Sep 2015 • Couples
Unfortunately we (my wife and I) have to make a serious complaint.
At the 7th of September 11 am we visited „Castello di Duino“ and the associated ruins of the old castle.
What I describe in the following was wrote done 4 hours after the event took place and when our memories were still fresh.
"We entered the reception of the Castello Duino to visit the „Castello di Duino". The lady (middle aged, dark long hair, very good English) asked us if we wanted to see the ruins of the old castle as well. Price point 8 € for the Castello + 2 € for the ruins per person. In total 20 €. We agreed and gave her a 50 € bill. She handed us the ticket and then asked us where we are from. She wrote a „+2" on a paper list (right next to a „+6“) and then recommended to us to go to the ruins first, as they were going to close soon. She reminded us to show the ticket at the entrance there. We said goodbye and left. Right after we left the reception (we only walked a few steps), we realized that we didn’t get our change. We returned and asked for the change. The woman said we simply must have misplaced the money and immediately offered us to check the cash register. She did not check if it was laying on the desk or waited until we checked our pockets. She said we should go to the ruins now while she was checking the register, and if upon return she had a surplus, we would get our money back. When we returned an hour later from the ruins she stated that everything was in order and we must have misplaced the money.“
To this day the 30 € did not turn up. We checked every nook and cranny. And the chances that the money flew away on the 10 meters we walked from the reception till our return are very slim.
We believe that we were scammed. When it was time to give us the change, she diverted our attention with questions and gestures and when we finally realized what has happened it was too late.
Tourists usually only go once to this castle, and maybe we are not the only ones this happened to. And if this single visit is soured by something like this, it is really a shame for such a beautiful place.
At the 7th of September 11 am we visited „Castello di Duino“ and the associated ruins of the old castle.
What I describe in the following was wrote done 4 hours after the event took place and when our memories were still fresh.
"We entered the reception of the Castello Duino to visit the „Castello di Duino". The lady (middle aged, dark long hair, very good English) asked us if we wanted to see the ruins of the old castle as well. Price point 8 € for the Castello + 2 € for the ruins per person. In total 20 €. We agreed and gave her a 50 € bill. She handed us the ticket and then asked us where we are from. She wrote a „+2" on a paper list (right next to a „+6“) and then recommended to us to go to the ruins first, as they were going to close soon. She reminded us to show the ticket at the entrance there. We said goodbye and left. Right after we left the reception (we only walked a few steps), we realized that we didn’t get our change. We returned and asked for the change. The woman said we simply must have misplaced the money and immediately offered us to check the cash register. She did not check if it was laying on the desk or waited until we checked our pockets. She said we should go to the ruins now while she was checking the register, and if upon return she had a surplus, we would get our money back. When we returned an hour later from the ruins she stated that everything was in order and we must have misplaced the money.“
To this day the 30 € did not turn up. We checked every nook and cranny. And the chances that the money flew away on the 10 meters we walked from the reception till our return are very slim.
We believe that we were scammed. When it was time to give us the change, she diverted our attention with questions and gestures and when we finally realized what has happened it was too late.
Tourists usually only go once to this castle, and maybe we are not the only ones this happened to. And if this single visit is soured by something like this, it is really a shame for such a beautiful place.
Written September 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Newtonian2
Newton, MA58 contributions
Built around 1400, the "new castle" at Duino sits on a cliff overlooking the infinite blue vistas of the Adriatic and, slightly closer to hand, the ruined "old castle," which dates from the 11th century. It's only a brief drive from Trieste, and well worth the trip, but the few English-speaking tourists who make it to this part of Italy tend only to get as far as Mirimare, a ginger-bread castle from the 1850s that is slightly closer to the city.
Germans, however, make the pilgrimage to Duino, because it was here, in 1911, that the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, wandering on the bluffs near the Castle while spending some time here (courtesy of his patron and its owner, Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe) and fighting a writer's block, heard a voice from out of the gale speaking the words "Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angelic orders?" He scribbled them down and, suitably inspired, started work on the Duino Elegies, arguably one of the greatest works in modern literature.
Even without the raging gale (it was a wonderfully sunny day when I was there) and the angelic voice (all I heard were politely murmuring German tourists), this is an awfully impressive place. Rilke spoke of it as a sort of last outpost of humanity, situated right on the edge of the vast expanse of nature, and the sense of the place is very much that of something placed at the edge.
Visitors can tour the rooms, with their collections of memorabilia from the various visitors who have stayed at the castle over the years (which include not only a who's who of European literati, but also a postcard from Samuel Clemens), collections of musical instruments (along with the obligatory armor, furniture, and paintings of family members), and historical material on the period of German occupation during World War II. But everyone who winds up here is inevitably pulled up to the balconies, with their remarkable views of the Adriatic and of the rugged cliffs, including the one on which Rilke walked on his way to his encounter with the Voice. It's a gorgeous, spectacular, and profoundly moving place.
Germans, however, make the pilgrimage to Duino, because it was here, in 1911, that the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, wandering on the bluffs near the Castle while spending some time here (courtesy of his patron and its owner, Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe) and fighting a writer's block, heard a voice from out of the gale speaking the words "Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angelic orders?" He scribbled them down and, suitably inspired, started work on the Duino Elegies, arguably one of the greatest works in modern literature.
Even without the raging gale (it was a wonderfully sunny day when I was there) and the angelic voice (all I heard were politely murmuring German tourists), this is an awfully impressive place. Rilke spoke of it as a sort of last outpost of humanity, situated right on the edge of the vast expanse of nature, and the sense of the place is very much that of something placed at the edge.
Visitors can tour the rooms, with their collections of memorabilia from the various visitors who have stayed at the castle over the years (which include not only a who's who of European literati, but also a postcard from Samuel Clemens), collections of musical instruments (along with the obligatory armor, furniture, and paintings of family members), and historical material on the period of German occupation during World War II. But everyone who winds up here is inevitably pulled up to the balconies, with their remarkable views of the Adriatic and of the rugged cliffs, including the one on which Rilke walked on his way to his encounter with the Voice. It's a gorgeous, spectacular, and profoundly moving place.
Written July 27, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kkapri23
36 contributions
Jun 2012 • Family
I actually prefer this castle over Maxamillion's in Trieste. There is an old WWII bunker, the old castle ruins, a nice cafe and you can see Maxamillion's from the windows of Duino. The gardens are small and quaint, unlike Maxamillion's, but still very pretty. If you are in the area, see both, but DO NOT skip Duino!!
Written March 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah C
Elmhurst, IL92 contributions
Sep 2012 • Couples
If you've read Rilke's Duino Elegies, you have to visit Castello di Duino. Still owned by the Thurn und Taxis family, the castle is in much better shape and much more appealing as a residence than its neighbor, Miramare. It's filled with photos and memorabilia of the family and their illustrious guests - artists, royalty, political figures. There's also a notable collection of instruments, including a piano played by Liszt. Stand on the terrace where Rilke wrote the first elegies, look up and down the spectacular coast, and you, too, will be inspired to write poetry.
Written October 16, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
permia
Ireland64,806 contributions
Sep 2011 • Couples
By early afternoon the rain had stopped so we went to the marvellous Duino Castle, taking Bus 44 from the terminus at Piazza Oberdan in central Trieste. It wasn’t immediately obvious where the Duino stop was but a friendly passenger told us.
The entrance walkway lined with attractive statuary gives a sense of the attractions ahead. In the grounds we had a great view of the old ruined castle jutting into the Gulf. Preparations for a gala dinner and event that evening were busily underway with film crews etc but the atmosphere was very relaxed and busily informal with no restrictions whatsoever on the visitors.
We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely walk around the new castle. The library is quite large and lined with attractive dark wooden bookcases full of publications and manuscripts. We paused for a while in the small family chapel. There is a very strong musical heritage associated with the castle. This is reflected in the many exhibits of musical instruments along the corridors and elsewhere. A quartet was actually practising in a space at the end of a corridor. Downstairs the cool grotto with its gorgeous vaulted ceiling has some lovely displays including large colourful crystals.
We were intrigued to see the family trees showing the interweaving of European royal and titled families over nearly a millennium. The many historical documents on view are most impressive. One of the most fascinating is a letter hand written by Queen Elizabeth in February 1952 on Clarence House headed paper to her Aunt Mari about the death of her father King George VI.
On the way out we visited the adjoining WW II bunker that is evocatively dark and dank.
All in all a marvellous outing to a absorbing historical castle.
The entrance walkway lined with attractive statuary gives a sense of the attractions ahead. In the grounds we had a great view of the old ruined castle jutting into the Gulf. Preparations for a gala dinner and event that evening were busily underway with film crews etc but the atmosphere was very relaxed and busily informal with no restrictions whatsoever on the visitors.
We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely walk around the new castle. The library is quite large and lined with attractive dark wooden bookcases full of publications and manuscripts. We paused for a while in the small family chapel. There is a very strong musical heritage associated with the castle. This is reflected in the many exhibits of musical instruments along the corridors and elsewhere. A quartet was actually practising in a space at the end of a corridor. Downstairs the cool grotto with its gorgeous vaulted ceiling has some lovely displays including large colourful crystals.
We were intrigued to see the family trees showing the interweaving of European royal and titled families over nearly a millennium. The many historical documents on view are most impressive. One of the most fascinating is a letter hand written by Queen Elizabeth in February 1952 on Clarence House headed paper to her Aunt Mari about the death of her father King George VI.
On the way out we visited the adjoining WW II bunker that is evocatively dark and dank.
All in all a marvellous outing to a absorbing historical castle.
Written July 28, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Quill2005
Ocala, FL266 contributions
Nov 2019
This 14th century castle is well worth a visit. Not far from Trieste, Duino Castle is perched on a cliff with spectacular views of the Gulf of Trieste. A pretty formal garden adds to the pleasant ambience of the place. One can see various rooms, numerous old musical instruments, and historic photos and documents relating to the Princely family of Thurn und Taxis who own the castle.
Written November 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Parcheggiando a Duino, è, poi, possibile trovare nelle vicinanze bus per Muggia? In previsione di fare la via Boramar e fermarsi a Diuno al ritorno.
Grazie
Written April 14, 2023
Vicino al castello c'è un parcheggio non molto ampio una quarantina di posti. Per i bus non ho informazioni
Written April 15, 2023
Consigliato anche per famiglie con bimbi piccoli di 2 e 5 anni?
Written August 21, 2018
Ho un piccolo cane (4 kg) è consentito l'accesso? Grazie
Written April 27, 2018
cosa ce da visitare all'intero?
vale la pena
Written April 25, 2018
Come altri hanno già scritto l'atrattiva principale degli interni consiste nella collezione di strumenti musicali. Arredi e decorazioni delle stanze sono gradevoli, ma non certo eccezionali. Quella che vale decisamente è la vista ( Consiglio, quindi, la salita alla torre).
Written May 12, 2018
Gibt es im Schloss eine deutschsprachige Führung?
Written August 23, 2016
Ja , mit Reservierung. Siehe die Seite des Schlosses, oder schreiben Sie an castello di duino
(Si, su prenotazione. Vedere sito del castello oppure scrivere al recapito del castello)
Written August 24, 2016
Arrivando in auto, è facile trovare parcheggio? E' gratuito?
Ultima domanda: il sentiero Rilke è facilmente raggiungibile poi dal castello?
Grazie in anticipo
Written July 8, 2016
Per trovare parcheggio bisogna affidarsi ai parcheggi in zona, tutti comunque gratuiti, al massimo si parcheggia la macchina e si cammina qualche minuto. E si, il sentiero Rilke è facilmente raggiungibile dal castello di Duino, saranno 5 minuti a piedi prendendola con la calma
Written August 1, 2016
come ci arriviamo in auto o con i mezzi pubblici?
Written May 19, 2016
ci può arrivare sia in auto che con i mezzi pubblici perchè il castello è nel centro dell'abitato di Duino. I mezzi pubblici partono da Trieste o da Monfalcone, o da Gorizia, con la ferrovia la stazione è quella di Sistiana-Visogliano.
Written May 24, 2016
desideravo sapere quanto può costare indicativamente un matrimonio nelle sale del castello...
La location la conosco e mi piace davvero molto.
Grazie.
Written August 7, 2015
Ritengo serva mettersi in contatto con il Comune per le tariffe che applicano.
Written August 9, 2015
Hi,
between June 7-13 me and my wife will be in Treste, and we would like to visit the castle and the gardens. Please tell me if we need to book the visit in advance, or we can simply go to the location and visit the castle like any other museum, by paying at the entrance.
Thank you
Written May 22, 2015
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