Cinque Terre is nestled along Italy’s rugged Ligurian coastline, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, picturesque villages, and charming trails. Among these, the Via dell’Amore, or “Path of Love,” stands out as a symbol of romance and natural beauty. This iconic trail has been closed to the public for over a decade due to safety concerns. However, after extensive restoration and the implementation of new safety measures, the Path of Love is set to reopen.
Via dell’Amore Now Open
ᴍᴀɴᴀʀᴏʟᴀ 💙 ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏ sᴘᴏᴛs ɪɴ ᴄɪɴǫᴜᴇ ᴛᴇʀʀᴇ
– sunbathe and swim
– aperitivo at Nessun Dorma
– admire the sunset
– ferry along the coast
– vineyards to Corniglia
– walk Via dell’Amore (from July 2024)#cinqueterreitaly #cinqueterre #Italy pic.twitter.com/8mlZxZINRO— Cinque Terre Italy (@theCinqueTerre) February 10, 2024
The most romantic hiking trail in the Cinque Terre called the Via dell’Amore (Path of Love), will reopen in Italy on July 27. The trail is opening twelve years after a landslide in September 2012 that injured four tourists from Australia. This brought attention to the urgent need for repairs and enhanced safety measures. With a 104-year history and an 800-meter stretch of walkway cut out of rocky cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea, the path’s existence is largely dependent on the preservation of Italy’s coastal environments.
The breathtaking path, which connected the multicoloured medieval borghi (villages) of Riomaggiore and Manarola, was one of the most well-liked sections of the 130 km trail network. Presently, a technicolour Italian fantasy draws millions of foreign visitors to Riomaggiore and Manarola, the vertical villages perched on spectacular rocks with buildings layered atop each other. They look like pastel scoops of gelato.
Over the years, the situation was exacerbated by further landslides and erosion, raising concerns about the trail’s long-term viability. Efforts to restore the path were met with numerous challenges.
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Conservations On Path Of Love
"La via dell'amore"
Le cinque Terre..,riaprirà al pubblico il 26 luglio..
Mi piacerebbe passeggiare lì… pic.twitter.com/ePUdUgnYnk
— My Head Is A Jungle (@MyHeadIsAJungl1) July 8, 2024
Not far from the ancient centres of the villages, this flat, easy-to-walk trail soon proved to be a perfect and useful answer for a date night, with views of the sea at dusk and a spectacular rocky scenery above the waves smashing around 30m below. During the 1970s, the local authorities realised the significance and erected benches honouring passionate legendary characters, such as Cupid and Eros. The only problem is that the Path of Love was constructed in an area known for its regular landslides. It was on a precipitous and eroding mountainside.
The area’s agriculture was abandoned and the stone walls’ upkeep was ignored when tourism arrived in the 1950s. As climate change progressed, the same amount of annual precipitation became concentrated in fewer, stronger storms. Over the years, the situation was exacerbated by further landslides and erosion, raising concerns about the trail.
Following extensive renovations, the first part is back available for a summer preview through September 30. It will reopen in its entirety in July 2024.
Cover image credits: Flickr