Introduction :
Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coastline situated in the Liguria region of north-west Italy and comprises of five towns which are Vernazza, Corniglia, Monterrosso, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The Cinque Terre is famous for its landscapes of exceptional scenic quality and represents the harmony between human and mother nature that exists for over a millienium. The five villages, together with the coastline and surrounding hills make up the Cinque Terre National Park and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
The town of Vernazza with its blue waters
Image attribution to chensiyuan @ Wiki
Aerial view of the towns below
Image attribution to wuensch @ Flickr
The Corniglia town is built on the highest landscape in the area
Image attribution to chensiyuan @ Wiki
San Pietro Gothic Church
Image attribution to ghirolfo53 @ Flickr
Evening time in Manarola
Image attribution to chensiyuan @ Wiki
History :
Inhabited since the Bronze Ages, the region has been home to peaceful fisherman and farmers while being constantly pillaged by pirates and slave traders. The first establishments in the region was founded in 1000 AD by the inhabitants living on the Reggio hills and it soon became part of the Republic of Genoa. People began carefully building houses on the rugged landscapes of the Cinque Terre throughout the years to form what is now landscapes. The name of Cinque Terre and the five villages was given during the later Middle Ages as early as the 15th century. The Cinque Terre was largely inaccessible by many until the 1870s when the Genoa-La Spezia railway connected it to land passing through all the villages.
Monterosso town in Cinque Terra
Image attribution to EpicV27 @ Wiki
IL Gigante was once the landmark of Cinque Terra until WW II bombings destroyed one of its hands
Image attribution to wuensch @ Flickr
Following the Red Trail in Cinque Terre
Image attribution to Chuntera @ Flickr
Beautiful sunset of Monterosso as seen from Vernazza
Image attribution to R Alescio @ Flickr
Night time at Cinque Terre
Image attribution to thymeless @ Flickr
Getting there :
The nearest international airport to the Cinque Terra is the Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport that serves most major European cities. This is followed by a Volabus bus trip to the main train station in Genoa (BRIGNOLE RAILWAY STATION) where you can take take a train ride to one of the five villages in Cinque Terre, please take note to remember some of the names of the villages (Vernazza, Corniglia, Monterrosso, Manarola and Riomaggiore) for trip information at the train station.