Riomaggiore: Nestled between two steep terraced hills that descend in abrupt cliffs to the sea, the historic borough of Riomaggiore strikes visitors with its tall vertically built colorful houses. While strolling amid the tight network of alleyways, the village’s archways and staircases offer charming plays of light and shade. In the high part of the village you may visit the Church of San Giovanni Battista. It was built in 1340 with a basilica plan made up of different styled columns and with two gothic doors. It is worthwhile to visit the oratory of Santa Maria Assunta, built in 1500, the oratory of San Antonio Abbate and the oratory of Saint Rocco.

Manarola: A bright fresco, a paradise of vineyards and olive trees, a colorful historic village where the houses seem to come out of the rocks of the long, narrow marina. In Papa Innocenzo IV square you can visit: the Church of San Lorenzo built in 1338 in Ligurian gothic style with a nave and two side aisles; the bell tower of the church (Campanile Bianco) erected in the XII century, an ancient tower for sighting and defense; the XV century oratory of Disciplinants of Santissima Annunziata and the historic hospital of San Rocco. Very beautiful and striking is the famous crib staged in Christmas time.

Corniglia: Perched on a striking high bluff, it is the only town without access from the sea. The village is of Roman origins and its placename comes from the Roman settler Cornelius, producer of the white wine, already renowned right by that time. In this wonderful village tourists can visit Largo Taragio square (XVIII century) with the Oratory of Santa Caterina, one of the most interesting building in the whole coast, a very beautiful example of Liguria gothic.

Vernazza: This medieval village with its magical and mysterious alleys enclosed by the multicoloured houses is a top destination for tourists from all over the world. Vernazza is classified among the first hundred most beautiful villages in Italy. Here people can admire Santa Margherita Church and the remains of the ancient fortification.

Monterrosso: Eugenio Montale, poet awarded with a Nobel of literature in 1975, used to spend his summers here in Monterosso al Mare “rocky stern town, refuge for fishermen and peasants…” he wrote. Tourists may enjoy both the modern beach resort of the village known as Fegina and the medieval historic centre. Here they can admire San Giovanni Battista Church, in gothic-Genoese style, the Capuchins cloister, Sant’Antonio del Mesco church and the remains of the ancient fortifications, including the ruins of a little castle with its two towers, and the magnificent Aurora Tower.

Lerici is an enchanting village at only 5 miles from Vezzano. Every period of the year is good to visit this charming place where people can enjoy the promenade, the sea, the art, the good cooking… Lerici was acknowledged by the League for the protection of the environment of the prestigious recognitions “Blue Flag” and “Four Sails”. Its territory then is included in the Regional Natural Park of Montemarcello – Magra, a large protected area dominated by the Mediterranean bush. The town is also connected by ferry to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere. One of the main sights of Lerici is its notorious castle controlling the entrance of the Gulf of La Spezia. Today the castle contains a museum of paleontology.

English writers Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley lived some three miles north of Lerici in an isolated old boat house called Casa Magni, and anchored their sailing boat in Lerici’s harbour. Their closest neighbours were the villagers of the tiny hamlet of San Terenzo. On 8 July 1822, less than a month before his 30th birthday, Shelley drowned in a sudden storm while sailing back from Livorno to Lerici in his schooner, Don Juan.. His corpse eventually washed up on the beach at Viareggio, located approximately halfway between Livorno and Lerici. The popularity of Lerici with the Shelleys and with Lord Byron earned the Lerici’ Gulf its nickname as the Poets’ Gulf. Lerici is one of the mariner communities which take part to the Palio del Golfo, a rowing contest held in La Spezia every first Sunday of August.

To the very West of the Gulf of Spezia lays the territory of the Comune di Portovenere that consists of three villages, Fezzano, Le Grazie and Portovenere and an archipelago (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto). The place that most people probably associate with Portovenere is San Pietro Church. This little church sits on the rocky promontory and emanates a sense of serenity that it is hard to imagine anywhere else in the world. The church was built by the Genoese between 1256 and 1277 on the ruins of a Early Christian church that had been built over a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Venere Ericina (Venus Erycina). She was closely associated with the history of Portovenere. Cannon fire from the Aragon fleet in 1494, the occupation by Austrian /Russian militia and the disastrous Napoleonic period turned the church into a defensive outpost for the Gulf. The church was restored between 1929 and 1934.

San Lorenzo Church stands tall above the town and was built by the Genoese as the official colonial cathedral. The building was created by the noted Antelami master builders and features a Romanesque façade. Over the years however, it was subjected to many changes due to the turbulent history of the town. The interior houses many works of art including: a triptych of the XV century, the wonderful parchment of the Madonna Bianca (the White Virgin) and a Lebanese cedar tree trunk that was found in Portovenere waters. This trunk had relics and four trimmed caskets hidden inside it, decorated in accordance with the Arabian/Persian art of the XI century. The Doria castle overlooks the village. During the year it houses many art exhibitions.

The city offers a great tourist experience. Passing through the urban growth you enter the lovely historic city center still partly located within the ancient city walls and delimited by two main doors: Porta Romana (XVIII century) to the East, historical entrance to the city, near the massive "Testaforte Tower" and completely realised in white marble, and Porta Parma to the west. In between these doors we find the magnificent Piazza Matteotti with the Town Hall, the War Memorial, and some old buildings from different periods.

The city is full of charming squares, narrow streets, cafes, churches and monuments, as well as craftsman shops, bookshops and, above all, antiquarian shops. The oldest church in Sarzana is Chiesa Di Sant’Andrea (10th century), modified in gothic and baroque times. Inside there are important sculptures from XVI century and fine paintings by Fiasella. The Cattedrale Dell’Assunta (13th century), a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque style, offers a lovely rose window, some fine paintings, a carved marble altarpiece by Riccomani and a Crucifix by Guglielmo (12th century). The castle that stands dominantly over Sarzana is Cittadella (Firmafede Fortress) which was built by Lorenzo De’ Medici. The building has a rectangular shape, and is divided in two symmetrical parts. At the outer end of each of them there are imposing circular towers that overlook the nearby valley.

North east of Sarzana, not far from the town, stands the amazing Fortezza di Sarzanello (XIV century,) also named after Castruccio Castracani, erected on the hill where the bishop of Luni used to have his castle. The Fortezza was later taken by the people from the nearby Genoa and by the French. The Fortezza has a ditch around it, towers and views. The building's main structure is an equilateral triangle with sides of over 65 yards, reinforced at the vertices by hefty cylindrical towers. Inside the triangle lies a square building which is the core of the fortress. The Fortezza complex is divided in two parts: the "rivellino", that is the outer wall, and the fortress itself. These two parts are connected by a bridge standing in front of the fortress, which is in turn linked to the allure through a narrow bridge. During the summer parties and concerts often take place in this imposing scenery.

Each village of the Cinque Terre has its own sanctuary, located higher up on the hills. If you want to visit these sanctuaries you can follow the Sanctuary Route, that connects all five. For example, from Monterosso you can reach the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Soviore in about an hour and a half. It is an easy walk in the woods and it is a relaxing alternative to the coast route on a sunny day.

RIOMAGGIORE - SANCTUARY OF NOSTRA SIGNORA DI MONTENERO
Km 3,5 - 1 Hour - The departure is located nearby the car park where the path begins. At the beginning and for a long part, the path follows the canal of Riomaggiore, then the road begins to go uphill among the vineyards until the sanctuary. Near the square there is the path leading to Portovenere.

MANAROLA - SANCTUARY OF NOSTRA SIGNORA DELLA SALUTE
1 Hour - Departure from the car park in Manarola; at the exit there is a mule-track (reaching 268 metres) from where the trail begins. Take the road on the left and continue until Volastra. From here going on the left you reach the sanctuary in a short time.

CORNIGLIA - SANCTUARY OF NOSTRA SIGNORA DELLE GRAZIE
1 Hour 30 Minutes - Take the road from Corniglia to Vernazza. Arrive in Prevo, then turn right and after that you meet the carriageable road you have to follow for 300 metres direction Corniglia, until you find a steep mule-track leading to the sanctuary.

VERNAZZA - SANCTUARY OF NOSTRA SIGNORA DI REGGIO
Km 1,2 - About 45 Minutes - Leave from the railway station and take the road to the cemetery. Turn around it and continue along the ridge eastwards. The footpath is paved and corresponds to the Via Crucis leading to the square of the sanctuary surrounded by century-old trees.

MONTEROSSO - SANCTUARY OF NOSTRA SIGNORA DI SOVIORE
Km 2.5 - 1Hour 30 Minutes - Leave from the last part of Via Roma where the mule-track begins to climb among the olive trees and vineyards. Cross the wood until you meet the coast road you have to cross. The mule-track passes by a pinewood from where you can see some small Via Crucis chapels. After 200 metres you arrive to the sanctuary surrounded by century-old holm-oaks.

The Cinque Terre are linked by a network of paths that offer the best opportunity to truly enjoy their unique, enchanting landscape and to discover the different sides of a territory that preserves the mark of its past. You can get a map of the paths at the information office.
Inside the park, path n° 2, better known as the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path), is one of the most appreciated pedestrian routes of the whole peninsula, both because it does not present particular difficulties and because of the many delightful views given to the millions of walkers in every season of the year. The path goes from Riomaggiore to Monterosso and it can be completed in about five hours, but it is nice to devote a whole day to this walk taking breaks to visit the villages and enjoy the sights. Hiking shoes are not really necessary; a pair of comfortable sporty sandals will do.

If you are an experienced hiker you might also want to try the HIGH ROUTE (sentiero del Crinale), the most challenging itinerary in this area. This is a longer route that connects Levanto to Porto Venere, crossing the Cinque Terre territory. Since there are quite a few alternative paths along the way, it is highly recommended to pick up a map at one of the tourist offices before you start. The walking time is about ten hours.