Our hiking route begins at the beautiful spring of the Timava River. This is a place where a real wealth of drinking water emerges from beneath the majestic rocks, after seeping through the soluble limestone rocks under the entire area of the Kras and flowing for kilometers through mysterious underground caves, siphons and lakes. The river with a length of only two kilometers has been an important stop for people and sailors since prehistoric times. Today, the church of St. John the Baptist with rich remains of the past stands by the spring.

The path will lead us along the coast to the neighboring Villaggio del Pescatore (Ribiška vas), where many remains of prehistoric animals were discovered in an abandoned quarry by the end of the last millennium, including two exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur skeletons. Two of them – Antonio and Bruno, are already on display in the natural history museum in Trieste. But at the location of the archaeological site, there were many other prehistoric and younger remains, which are grouped together in a small but picturesque museum.

We will continue our journey over a gentle hill to the town of Duino (Devin), where the Counts of Devin have built their residence on the picturesque cliffs above the sea. We will visit only the old, to the public opened castle, as the walking path on scenic stone cliff, stretching for a good two kilometers all the way to Sesljan bay, begins there. The path was admired by the famous Spanish poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who had his own holiday home in Duino (Devin) and often walked along it, which is why it was named Rilke’s path now.

From the end of the path, we descend to the largest beach on the riviera – the Sistiana (Sesljan) beach. It continues to the picturesque tourist resort Portopiccolo (Mali pristan), built a few years ago in an abandoned quarry next to it. The picturesque architecture of this tourist resort impresses every visitor. This is where our route will end.

Overall Tour Level:: 

Irena Hlede is an architect by her profession, but she has worked in the fields of graphic design, journalism and sustainable mobility as well. It was engaged in many sports activities, from sailing to skiing or badminton, but the common thread throughout remains cycling. She regularly participates in the non-governmental organization Slovenska kolesarska mreža (Slovenian Cyclists network) as well as with the European Cycling Federation ECF, lectures on cycling and remains loyal to long-distance cycling. In this field, she completed several trainings – among others for the Assessor under the scheme “Cycle Friendly Employer”, Development of Mobility Plans and for the EuroVelo Route Inspector. She obtained the title and knowledge of a tourist guide at the national level, too, and is the founder and owner of the travel agency GremoZeleno – GoGreenWay. In addition to the in the university obtained areas of architecture and art, she is also keenly interested in ethnology, geography and history with an emphasis on everything related to the local tradition, especially some less known areas, such as the indigenous religion and the people who followed it. She also researches many “borderline” skills, such as dowsing or geomancy. It is a convinced environmentalist and an opponent of violence and wars in general.

She speaks English and French and, of course, Croatian and Serbian.