Sistiana

A picturesque marina overlooking the Gulf of Trieste

A hamlet of the scattered municipality of Duino-Aurisina, Sistiana is a well-equipped tourist centre, just under 20 kilometres from Trieste. The town can be divided into two distinct areas. The first, towards the coast, is called Sistiana Mare and is characterised by a wide bay with a small harbour, surrounded by dense forest. In the upstream area is the main urban settlement, built on the first spurs of the Karst Plateau. Near the centre is a hill, the Colle di Sistiana, while the entire area is dotted with several dolines and countless caves.

The bay is home to one of the oldest Italian sailing clubs, the Pietas Julia, founded in Pula in 1886, and the Yacht Club Čupa, a club belonging to the Slovenian community, which is present in the municipality.

The town is connected to Duino through the famous Sentiero Rilke, a scenic footpath of approximately 2.5 kilometres that runs along the Duino Cliffs Natural Reserve. The route is named after the Bohemian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who composed his Duino Elegies here. At the end of the walk we reach the 14th-century Castle of Duino, which can be visited every day from March to the end of October.