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| Italy's Cinque Terre Five Lands In Medieval Italy You seldom see cars in the villages because there are few roads. |
Cinque Terre's main link with the outside world is
the railway which weaves in and out of tunnels
along the coast and by the boats that shuttle
between villages on their way north to Genoa.
Each village has its own character because they
were once isolated by the steep cliffs. Now,
however, they are only a few minutes apart by train
or the passenger ferry that makes frequent trips
during the day.
Terraced intensively, the hills have a network of
trails that make it perfect for hikers.
Cinque Terre or "The Five Lands" describes five
small fishing villages carved out of the rocky
hillsides a thousand years ago or more. The
people of the villages work the Bay of Ligeria,
fishing the Mediterranean Sea and planting grape
vines and olive trees on the terraced hills .
Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and
Monterosso al Mar can provide lodging and dining
in one of the best preserved natural areas of the
Mediterranean, Cinque Terre has defied
development.
The villages celebrate fishing and intensive
viticulture which has created a unique landscape
with stone walls so extensive that guidebooks
make comparison to the Great Wall of China.
the railway which weaves in and out of tunnels
along the coast and by the boats that shuttle
between villages on their way north to Genoa.
Each village has its own character because they
were once isolated by the steep cliffs. Now,
however, they are only a few minutes apart by train
or the passenger ferry that makes frequent trips
during the day.
Terraced intensively, the hills have a network of
trails that make it perfect for hikers.
Cinque Terre or "The Five Lands" describes five
small fishing villages carved out of the rocky
hillsides a thousand years ago or more. The
people of the villages work the Bay of Ligeria,
fishing the Mediterranean Sea and planting grape
vines and olive trees on the terraced hills .
Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and
Monterosso al Mar can provide lodging and dining
in one of the best preserved natural areas of the
Mediterranean, Cinque Terre has defied
development.
The villages celebrate fishing and intensive
viticulture which has created a unique landscape
with stone walls so extensive that guidebooks
make comparison to the Great Wall of China.
| Italy's Cinque Terre |
| Cinque Terre, Italy Cinque Terre is a magic land on the coast of Italy where you can take a boat between the medieval villages, take a park shuttle, or take the train. The best view, however, is from the grape orchards and olive groves high above the Mediterranean Sea where you walk the hiking trails and get an almost surrealistic look on the five tiny villages that are tucked into the rocks between the sea and the steep hills. In Cinque Terre our lodging was a simple B&B in a fishing village that had resisted progress for a thousand years: one main street, no cars, a few small cafés and restaurants. We hiked each day above the Mediterranean in deep blue splendor far below. Each town had its necklace of trails that connected through the olive groves and vineyards, some short walks, some strenuous hikes.. At the end of our day we would dine on pesto and olives, pasta or fish, and we would sip the local white wine as the sun dipped for the night into the Mediterranean Sea. |
The Gothic architecture of stone structures cobbled together in villages joined
by a network of paths fills a dream for travelers who long to sense, if just for a
moment, the life of Medieval times. The five villages still practice the simple
farm life and they harvest of the sea in small boats making Cinque Terre
different.
The villages built into rocky enclaves on the mountainside are surrounded by
a nature park. The Park preserves the environment and the air quality by
operating a shuttle between villages. If the hiking gets too much, the shuttle is
a good option. Walking is the ideal way to get around, however, the view
while walking in the terraced vineyards of the coast is a stunner.
Riomaggiore is the first Cinque Terre Village you encounter driving north
from La Spezia or coming by train form the south. There is just one
pedestrian only street leading down to the sea. Some hotels have parking
and you drive through a gate to reach them. Otherwise no cars clog the roads.
Brightly-painted houses of the medieval village lean into one another in a
disarray of pastel cobbles with networks of small streets and sheltered paths.
A trail leads out along the shore to the next village, Manarola. The Via
del'Amore as it is called has a dozen little trails leading to outcrops where
sunbathers find some privacy.
by a network of paths fills a dream for travelers who long to sense, if just for a
moment, the life of Medieval times. The five villages still practice the simple
farm life and they harvest of the sea in small boats making Cinque Terre
different.
The villages built into rocky enclaves on the mountainside are surrounded by
a nature park. The Park preserves the environment and the air quality by
operating a shuttle between villages. If the hiking gets too much, the shuttle is
a good option. Walking is the ideal way to get around, however, the view
while walking in the terraced vineyards of the coast is a stunner.
Riomaggiore is the first Cinque Terre Village you encounter driving north
from La Spezia or coming by train form the south. There is just one
pedestrian only street leading down to the sea. Some hotels have parking
and you drive through a gate to reach them. Otherwise no cars clog the roads.
Brightly-painted houses of the medieval village lean into one another in a
disarray of pastel cobbles with networks of small streets and sheltered paths.
A trail leads out along the shore to the next village, Manarola. The Via
del'Amore as it is called has a dozen little trails leading to outcrops where
sunbathers find some privacy.
These villages date back to the twelfth century.
Manarola is only a half hour walk from Riomaggiore but has a trail that leads up the mountainside to the village
of Volastra, and a great view of the coast from the top of the terraced hills.
Corniglia, a half-hour hike from Manarola heading north occupies a formidable rock promontory jutting from the
sea with two small beaches at its sides. You can reach Corniglia by walking from Maranola or from the railway
stop and then up a long flight of steps. Visit the Church of San Pietro built in 1334, which is considered one of
the most significant monuments in the Gothic-Ligurian style.
Vernaza, the fourth village heading north has sheltered cove and several restaurants near the sea.
The next village can be a two-hour hike but the ferry stops at the cove and will shuttle between the two.
Vernazza's harbor once sheltered a Roman installation
Monterosso al Mare is the next northerly village. It has a sandy beach and a boat dock where the water taxis
connect to the other villages.
Manarola is only a half hour walk from Riomaggiore but has a trail that leads up the mountainside to the village
of Volastra, and a great view of the coast from the top of the terraced hills.
Corniglia, a half-hour hike from Manarola heading north occupies a formidable rock promontory jutting from the
sea with two small beaches at its sides. You can reach Corniglia by walking from Maranola or from the railway
stop and then up a long flight of steps. Visit the Church of San Pietro built in 1334, which is considered one of
the most significant monuments in the Gothic-Ligurian style.
Vernaza, the fourth village heading north has sheltered cove and several restaurants near the sea.
The next village can be a two-hour hike but the ferry stops at the cove and will shuttle between the two.
Vernazza's harbor once sheltered a Roman installation
Monterosso al Mare is the next northerly village. It has a sandy beach and a boat dock where the water taxis
connect to the other villages.
| Italy's Cinque Terre |
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david@SoftseatTravel.com
david@SoftseatTravel.com
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Cinque Terre's tour boats connect the five villages