Cinque Terre

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vernazza
Map of the region
Monterosso al Mare
Corniglia
Manarola
Riomaggiore

The Cinque Terre ( German  about five countries or five localities ) is an approximately twelve kilometer long, climate-favored coastal strip of the Italian Riviera between Punta Mesco and Punta di Montenero northwest of La Spezia in the Liguria region. The five villages of Monterosso al Mare , Vernazza , Corniglia , Manarola and Riomaggiore line the steeply sloping coast from northwest to southeast .

The region has around 7000 inhabitants and is protected as a national park in which nothing may be built or changed. In 1997, the Cinque Terre have been with Porto Venere and the islands of Palmaria , Tino and Tinetto to the World Heritage Site explained.

geography

A gently rounded mountain range, several hundred meters high and partly steeply sloping into the sea, stretches along the coast. The Cinque Terre consist of five small, sloping terrain cuts that open to the sea. One of the villages is located in each of the valleys. Four of the five villages are located directly on the water. Only Corniglia lies on a ledge around 100 meters above sea level.

history

The oldest evidence of a Castro Venaccio from 1050 and a Monte Russo go back to deeds of gift. The landscape structure underwent fundamental changes during this time. Terraced cultures for viticulture were created near the sea. Nowadays, the terraces built on the steep slopes have to be permanently maintained in order to prevent entire slopes from sliding down. Fishing and trade helped develop closer ties between the coast and the hinterland. In the 12th century, the Republic of Genoa built a strategic fortress on Punta San Pietro in the larger, south-bordering town of Porto Venere . In 1209 the republic finally took possession of Vernazza. The Cinque Terre shared most of its history with the Republic of Genoa.

Economy and Infrastructure

Agriculture

Most of the slopes above the villages are forested. The wine grown here, as well as citrus fruits and olives , along with fishing , formed the livelihood of the inhabitants for centuries. Viticulture has also contributed to creating and maintaining the unique cultural landscape with its vineyard terraces and dry stone walls .

traffic

In 1874 the railway line from Genoa to La Spezia was built along the coast , and each of the five towns got its own train station. Outside the train stations, the route runs almost entirely in tunnels. The railway connection is still the most important connection with each other and with the surrounding area, because only Riomaggiore and Manarola can be reached via the well-developed state road 370, the Litoranea della Cinque Terre . Originally, this road should have connected the region, which was isolated until it was built, with the city of La Spezia and the tourist center of Sestri Levante . However, after protests by locals, construction was finally stopped. The other villages can only be reached via very time-consuming, winding and steep roads or even by train, sometimes with three connections per hour.

tourism

Coastal path between Corniglia and Vernazza (in September)

The Cinque Terre are no longer an insider tip since it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From spring to autumn, huge numbers of tourists flock to the region by train. The train journey itself is an attraction, as it crosses the region in an impressive stretch of tunnels by the sea - with frequent views of the water - and stops in all five villages and in the neighboring beach resorts. Tourism is now the main source of income for the residents. Since there is only a small piece of sandy beach in Monterosso al Mare, mass tourism on the lido can not gain a foothold in the small towns. Mostly day tourists (“sightseeing tourism”) and hikers come.

In addition to the villages themselves, the Via dell'Amore hiking trail , which connects the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola along the coast at a moderate altitude, is the biggest attraction. The following hiking trail from Manarola via Corniglia and Vernazza to Monterosso is more scenic. Here you hike on narrow paths through the maquis and through vineyards and olive slopes. Sturdy shoes are essential, while the Via dell'Amore can be comfortably walked with sandals.

The coastal paths between Riomaggiore and Corniglia (via Manarola) are currently closed due to work on the route and are not expected to open again in 2018. [obsolete] In October 2011, Vernazza and Monterosso were particularly hard hit by floods. Since then, some of the paths around Manarola have been closed due to landslides.

The entire hiking trail through the national park is now chargeable in the main season - in the sense of a ticket.

Approximate walking distances between the villages, from development boundary to development boundary
section Route length approx. Level of difficulty
Monterosso - Vernazza 3.2 km heavy
Vernazza - Corniglia 2.8 km medium
Corniglia - Manarola 1.9 km light
Manarola - Riomaggiore 0.8 km light

literature

Web links

Commons : Cinque Terre  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Cinque Terre  - travel guide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cinque Terre Cards. In: Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre. Retrieved June 26, 2011 (Italian).
  2. ↑ Pictures of the flood from October 2011
  3. ↑ Il Sentiero Azzurro: Manarola - Corniglia ( Memento of January 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive )

Coordinates: 44 ° 7 ′ 37 "  N , 9 ° 42 ′ 34"  E