Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is "picture post card" preserved Italy that was discovered by tourists in the 1960s.  Prior to that the "Five Lands" were largely as they were for hundreds of years, surviving principally on the sea and terraced gardens and vineyards on the steep slopes behind the villages.

The villages were once solely linked by a walking track and even today, the inner three villages do not support vehicular traffic, but are linked by a train and all except Corniglia by a ferry.

The Cinque Terre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997 for its extraordinary scenic landscape, which exemplifies the harmonious relationship between its inhabitants and the surrounding land.

Today, this is a very popular destination for tourists who walk the track between the villages.  We also stayed in Vernazza, the second to northern most village and really enjoyed the experience.

The photos below only capture a fraction of the beauty of the region, but you can pick up it's uniqueness and link back to wonderful memories and experiences from this place....