Hi there, I'm Hannah Hummel and today I'm going to be travelling on the Cinque Terre Express,
a train that connects the five scenic seaside villages
of the Cinque Terre National Park here in Italy.
It s considered to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the whole of Europe.
"Cinque Terre" or "Five Lands" is a cluster of five seaside villages - nestled into the
mountains of the Eastern stretch of the Italian Riviera.
The regional train that runs through each village is the most convenient way to get around.
Alternatively, you can take one of the many hiking trails.
The train begins its journey at La Spezia and travels through the five villages of
Riomagiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso.
But I'll need a ticket before I start my journey.
I get one from the train station in La Spezia.
You can buy a Cinque Terre daypass for only 16 Euros at any station and then ride the
whole day back and forth.
I m starting my journey at La Spezia.
Due to the pandemic, these carriages are likely emptier than usual.
In high season, it's almost impossible to get a seat!
The trainline was an engineering marvel for its day,
cutting through the tough, mountainous rock of the region.
Simona Armanino has been working as a conductor on the Cinque Terre Express for 18 years.
Is it special for you this train journey?
Do you still see the beauty of it even though you work here every day?
My first stop of the day is Vernazza.
I m meeting with Marco Rizzi, a local tour guide
who has been working in the region for almost two decades.
He takes me down to the village square, which is right by the ocean.
We ve hopped off at Vernazza.
Its colourful houses make it a popular tourist spot and an Instagram location.
One of the sightseeing attractions in Vernazza is the Santa Margherita Church,
built in the thirteenth century.
A maze of narrow streets lead us through the region, which has been
a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Marco and I hop back on board.
It only takes about 5 minutes to get from one village to another,
and the trains run every 10-20 minutes.
Our next stop of the day?
Manarola.
What I find so lovely about this whole journey is that you ve got an entire view of the coastline
from the window of the train.
The mountains on one side, and the amazing ocean view on the other.
Cinque Terre is famous for its network of hiking trails that span over 120 kilometers.
These coastal paths highlight the beauty of the natural landscape.
The buildings nestled into the cliffs have an interesting history.
So why are there so many towers in the region actually?
There are many towers because we used to have frequent pirate attacks centuries ago.
Even the structure of the buildings is against the pirates.
They were built really close together, hidden by the cliffs.
Wow.
But I guess it's a bit safer now, right?
Liguria is a famous wine region.
The grapevines surrounding Manarola produce the Cinque Terre wine, which the people here
have been making for around a thousand years.
What can you tell me about the vineyards behind us?
They planted vineyards and they built all those steep terraces up there centuries ago
in this hillside which is called the Amphitheatre of the Giants.
They make mostly white grapes here and white wines.
A dry gape wine which is really famous, well known from the centuries, that is named Sciacchetrà.
Almost every street corner offers a glimpse of the ocean, as well as the snaking coastline.
Well, I ve definitely worked up quite an appetite after all that sightseeing.
Let's go get some dinner!
And a glass of wine!
Another short train journey through the trainline's many tunnels
that offer fleeting glimpses of the ocean below.
Our final stop of the day is Monterosso. We're here to try some of the local cuisine.
We find a traditional Italian deli that specialises in regional wine and local dishes.
This particular wine is from the village of Riomaggiore.
Natural wine from the region.
Cheers!
The region of Liguria is well known for its salted anchovies.
It is also the birthplace of pesto, which is made from fresh basil with olive oil and pine nuts.
I get to taste it straight from the source!
Very fresh, it's really good.
For me this really has been such an exceptional experience to experience the stretch of the
Italian riviera along the coastline by train,
with the mountains on the other side of me.
If you don't like trains this maybe isn't the kind of trip for you.
But it's an experience I won't be forgetting any time soon.
Marco and I part ways as I settle in for the journey back to La Spezia.
Join me again for more breathtaking journeys along the train lines of Europe.
Until then, happy travels and take care!