Two villages perched on the cliffs facing the Liguarian sea, Manarola and Riomaggiore, were connected by an erratic intractable trail that often got disrupted by landslides. Recently it was made into a permanent walkway. Lovers from the villages are said to have met midway in the past. They hid behind the coves, wrote graffitis of ever lasting love on the cliff walls and locked their love by putting locks along the railings. This tiny trail where lovers met up is the most romantic kilometer long stretch you will ever walk on.
We visited in early February when tourists were absent, most businesses, restaurants and hotels were closed but the weather and quietude added to the romance.
In the absolute peace we walked along the cliffs and the silent sea on the lonely stretch of lovers by ourself realizing later that what is now a walking path for the village elders was once the spot where they hung out with their lovely maidens.
When we returned from Riomaggiore, the sun was setting and the sky turned a lovely pink making it one of the most memorable walks of our life. This is one place where words fall short and the pictures will fill in the gap for you.
Location: Cinque Terre, Italy
Time of visit: Early February
Hiking Difficulty level: Easy
Hope you enjoyed these photographs. Please share your comments and feedback with us at the bottom.
Looks like a lovely place to visit and great pictures! Going somewhere during the off season is often like visiting a completely different place, where you can actually enjoy what a place has to offer.
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Navdeep Ji,
In India, Off season will often mean very hot touching the 45-50 C, or freezing or unending days of Rain.
We were the only tourists in the 5 villages and it was hard to believe that the place would be full of people in the summers. This was the first romantic place we visited and still stands as our favourite.
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