Via dell’Amore

Note: This trail has been closed for several years due to landslides and is still closed as of September 2017.  No announcements when it will reopen (nor is there any evidence of work).

Stretching between the northern Italian coastal towns of Riomaggiore and Manorola, in the picturesque cluster of towns known as Cinque Terre, a cliffside trail allowed lovers from the towns to meet.

Built after the introduction of the railway in the early 20th century reduced the isolation of the tiny hillside towns, the trail became known as Via dell’Amore, or “Lover’s Way”,  in the years after WWII when the trail was restored. The modest path winds along the edge of the seaside cliffs, with a spectacular view of the water, and plenty of secluded spots along the way.

The once perilous path has been renovated and shored up many times over the decades. Today, hundreds of initials and tiny hearts and messages of love and lust adorn the cliffside wall of the pathway, marking the passing of thousands of lovers in the years since its opening.