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The Cinque Terre on the Ligurian Coast of Italy
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The Cinque Terre is a
beautiful but rugged landscape that has defiantly yielded to
the agricultural practices of a population determined to
make this scenic, rocky, craggy, coastal area their home and
their livelihood. Over a thousand year period, the
residents eked out a comfortable existence by taming the
hillsides with terraces for growing grapes, olives and other
agricultural products. In
addition, the buildings in the famed, five cities of the Cinque
Terre were constructed from local materials. The interaction of humankind with nature has produced an
environment in the Cinque Terre that is beautiful and relatively
unique.
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The five towns of the
Cinque Terre (from the north to the south) are Monterosso, Vernazza,
Corniglia (the only town not built on the coast), Manarola and
Riomaggiore. These compact little villages take
advantage of the limited space available to them for settlement.
The cities were established within a hundred years of each other,
most dating back to a period between 1000 and 1200, although specific
information on the dates of their founding is lacking.
Each of the towns is clustered around a church or religious
buildings constructed during the Middle Ages. |
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If you are interested in Italy, its people, history, economy and geography, visit our section:
Italy
Country Facts
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Tips
on driving, facts about health care and other Tourist Tips
for traveling in Italy can be found
here. |
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Vernazza's coastal setting fits the town like a well-made glove |
The Cinque Terre is both a UNESCO World Heritage site and a National Park of
Italy. In addition, it includes the Cinque Terre National Marine Park.
The area has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy due
to its unique setting, natural beauty and wonderful culture. In some ways, visiting here is like taking a page out of the past, especially since the most
pleasant way to wander between the towns is to use the thousand-year-old hiking trails
that scour the area. For those looking for easier duty, train service is
available to all towns and in good weather, mainly the summer, you can "ferry"
between some of the towns.
If you want to hike between the villages and are in good shape, you can make
the walk in around five hours. During the summer, it is quite hot
here and the trails can be extremely crowded However, in order to really enjoy the
Cinque Terre, you
should consider spending the night in one of the towns to sample the local
culture. Make your reservations well in advance or face disappointment.
Tourism has become an
important part of the economy, especially in Riomaggiore and the Cinque Terre
appears to be
slowly losing some of its charm. So, don't delay, see it this year!
The Genoa -Roma train (tunnel on the left) is a great
way to visit the towns of the Cinque Terre |
If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web
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The Cinque Terre coast is rugged and attractive, revealing a unique
geography
Vernazza's float-up boat park.
Riomaggiore intensely utilizes its limited coastal area
| Click here for the
website provided
by
the consortium of towns in the Cinque Terre. It is a
detailed and very useful site (there is a language bar at the top
right of the page). |
Best Places to Visit in Italy
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