Cinque Terre - "Touching" the fairy tale dream

Colorful paradise…

“Cinque Terre”, Photo: Harald Landsrath

In Italian, “Cinque Terre” means “five lands”, consisting of 5 ancient villages: Monterosso del Mare, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola covered in brilliant colors, perched precariously on the hillsides and cliffs near the Mediterranean coast. Many years ago, while surfing the internet, my heart skipped a beat when I came across Cinque Terre - a colorful paradise next to the blue sea. And on a bright summer day, my partner and I made a trip to that fairyland. Cinque Terre is located in the Liguria region, northwest of Italy. The people here mainly work as fishermen, grape and olive growers. It took just over an hour by train from Pisa to set foot on this dreamland. Over the centuries, Cinque Terre has retained its wild beauty and unique architecture along the 42km long coastline. The common point of these 5 picturesque villages is that they are all located on steep cliffs.

Corniglia Village, Photo: Gianni Crestani

Legend has it that their ancestors built houses on the cliffs to escape the invading armies and the Greeks who came to seek a new life. Life here passed peacefully until the first color photos appeared in travel magazines and UNESCO recognized the village as a World Heritage Site in 1997. To protect the heritage, since 2016, the Italian government has limited the number of visitors to the village to no more than 1.5 million people/year. Therefore, visitors who want to see Cinque Terre must book tickets in advance. The roads leading to the 5 villages are equipped with a visitor counting system, when the machine announces that a certain number has been reached for the day, Cinque Terre will immediately "close". We were lucky to have booked tickets in advance, so we quickly "checked in" to Cinque Terre early in the morning and were free to walk around and enjoy the scenery. Currently, the most convenient way to travel through the 5 villages is the mountain railway system. It’s easy to explore the fairytale villages with the Cinque Terre map available at La Spezia Central Station and at information desks. This is truly a place where you can enjoy a slow, peaceful pace of life amidst stunning nature, so whether you only have one day or three to explore… it will never be enough.

…and wonderful touches

Riomaggiore Village, Photo: djedj

The first village on our journey was Riomaggiore, as peaceful as a painting. From the road leading to the sea, I took in the whole view of the winding staircase connecting each house tinged with the color of time and leading straight down to the blue sea. Following each alley, we arrived at the ancient church of San Giovanni Battista and took in the whole panoramic view of the vast Mediterranean, enjoying the wonderful scent of the morning!

The ancient church of San Giovanni Battista, Photo: Matilde Civitillo

The town is also known to tourists for its historic buildings, vast vineyards and of course, the main wine producer in Cinque Terre. There, we came across the beautiful “Via dell'amore” love road, connecting the two villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola along the cliffs. Like many couples in love, we hung a padlock on the railing and threw the key into the deep sea as a promise of everlasting love.

The road of love “Via dell'amore”, Photo: visitriomaggiore

Manarola Village

Photo: djedj

And across the road, my heart skipped a beat when I arrived at the oldest village of Manarola, one of the eight most beautiful villages in Italy. Walking on the narrow, maze-like streets, my camera seemed to be “overloaded” as it had to continuously capture the houses with pointed towers, the San Lorenzo church dating back to 1338, the lush vineyards or the fishing boats lined up in long rows… as beautiful as a fairy tale dream!

San Lorenzo Church, Photo: reddit

We had dinner at one of the best restaurants in the Cinque Terre. Fresh seafood from the day’s catch, wine from the mountain grapes, dishes prepared according to a family recipe… what could be better? A delicious meal of crispy fried fresh anchovies, red salmon drizzled with olive oil, seafood pasta, fried seafood and a light, creamy tiramisu dessert… still makes me hungry thinking about it now.

Cinque Terre Cuisine, Photo: happytowander

And as the night gradually falls, the bright sunlight slowly spreads its peach silk ribbons over the colorful houses, the scene is as beautiful as a poem. Children chase each other in the church yard, old people enjoy the cool breeze on stone benches or somewhere Italian folk songs resound in the windy space... All of these leave me with unforgettable beautiful memories.

The small fishing village of Vernazza

The small fishing village of Vernazza Photo: Gianni Crestani

The next day, we explored the remaining 3 villages of the "fairy tale dream" Cinque Terre: Monterosso del Mare, Vernazza and Corniglia. Monterosso al Mare has the clearest and most beautiful beaches in Cinque Terre. The small fishing village of Vernazza is famous for its beautiful harbor, colorful small villages located on white cliffs facing the Mediterranean. Corniglia is peaceful and charming with narrow streets and ancient buildings. Watching the Mediterranean sunset and enjoying a glass of white wine will make you so captivated that you won't want to leave.

Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/vong-quanh-the-gioi/cinque-terre-cham-vao-giac-mo-co-tich-v12906.aspx