I'm a big Rilke fan, so visiting this castle was a must for me when we were in the area. There's not a ton of parking but we were lucky to find a spot directly across the street, and it helped that it wasn't tourist high season.
When we went to buy tickets, the person selling them said we could also go see the ruins but would have to go right away, as they were closing soon. The ruins didn't sound too appealing but I'm glad we went, as the views of the coast were gorgeous and my kid loved all the climbing possibilities.
The gardens of Duino are really lovely, and we had lunch there. Then on to the inside of the castle, which was not entirely impressive but interesting. The terrace with the table where Rilke wrote was a favorite spot of mine, as was the tower at the top.
If you want to see a grand castle, this is maybe not at the top of the list, but if you're a fan of Rilke or poetry, this is definitely worth a visit. read more