I'm continuing my long-forgotten story about our Easter trip to Liguria. Cinque Terre is a national park in Italy, encompassing five small villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso) on the coast of the Gulf of Genoa. The area is located on the Levante Riviera. Local monuments date back to the Middle Ages, but some settlements date back to Roman times. In 1997, UNESCO listed the Cinque Terre Cultural Landscape as a World Heritage Site.
Cinque Terre can be reached by train (most regional trains from Genoa stop in the villages within the park). The train journey from Genoa to Riomaggiore takes about 2 hours. Alternatively, take the express train to La Spezia (about 1 hour), and then transfer to a regional train, which takes no more than 10 minutes to Riomaggiore. Private vehicles are prohibited within the park. Parking is only available in Monterosso. Our agriturismo owner warned us that it might be full because we were arriving on one of the most popular weekends of the year, so we drove to Levanto and parked in the lot opposite the train station entrance. There, we purchased a train pass valid for 24 hours and including a pass for the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza.
There are four trails in the Cinque Terre, connecting five villages, collectively known as the Sentiero Azzurro (Azure Trail). The easiest and most famous one connects Manarola and Riomaggiore and is called the Via dell'amore, or the Path of Love. In 2011, there was a severe flood (though floods are quite common in Liguria; Genoa was flooded this year), and the region is still recovering from the aftermath. As a result, both the Path of Love and the other two trails are closed to visitors. The Riomaggiore municipality website has a special page, dedicated to the path of love, where you can track its status. It seems to have begun its restoration this fall; fingers crossed, I want to get there next Easter =). This summer, the Corniglia-Vernazza trail opened. When we visited, only the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza was open (and it became accessible literally four days before our arrival). This is the most challenging trail for those who are physically fit, so we went for a walk along it.
Monterosso Beach:
From this azure water they catch my favorite fish, the Dorado =).
This is where the most difficult part of the journey begins, as it begins to go straight up. The climb is made even more challenging by the sheer number of people in strollers, small children, and other adventurous individuals.
The vineyards for which Cinque Terre is famous. Along the route, there are several stalls where you can get freshly squeezed lemon juice for 2 euros. However, you'll have to wait in line for 15 minutes.
Monterosso is already very far away:
And Vernazza is visible ahead, although, of course, it’s still about 40 minutes away.
Source: travel.ru