Hiking in Cinque Terre

Liguria's hiking gem is undoubtedly the steep coast with the five villages of Cinque Terre. Here the hiker is offered a seductive palette of blue sea, green coast and pastel-colored villages, all wrapped in the scent of rosemary and honeysuckle. The villages cling to the cliffs and are connected only by trail, boat or train. The coastal trails run along terraced cultivations with olives, lemons and salt-sprayed grapes that become the refreshing Vermentino wine. The views over the sea are striking and invite swimming stops down in the villages. There also await ingeniously built environments with alleys, stairs and small holes in the wall that serve freshly baked focaccia, lemon liqueur and delicacies from the sea. A very harmonious union of man and nature, quite simply. Perhaps it's not so strange that artists, poets and bon vivants have sought their way here throughout the ages, from HC Andersen to Lord Byron.