Italy
Cinque Terre
Welcome to the Italian coast! Cinque Terre means "Five Lands" — five tiny villages with colorful houses perched on steep cliffs above the sparkling sea.
Why is it special?
Its five villages — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore — are famous for their rainbow-colored houses.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of how beautifully people, cliffs, and sea fit together here.
How does it live?
For hundreds of years, fishing families built terraces up the steep hillsides to grow grapes and lemons where flat land was scarce.
Because the cliffs are so steep, the villages are connected mainly by hiking trails, trains, and boats instead of roads.
Amazing facts
Legend says the houses were painted bright colors so fishermen could spot their own home from far out at sea.
Only one of the five villages, Monterosso, has a real sandy beach.
Quick facts
- Legend says the houses were painted bright colors so fishermen could spot their own home from far out at sea.
- Only one of the five villages, Monterosso, has a real sandy beach.
- A famous hiking trail called the "Path of Love" connects two of the villages along the cliffside.
- The whole area became a national park in 1999 to help protect it.