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MEMORY IN CINQUE TERRE: Explore Monterosso al Mare

• 31 Juli 2020
• Leisure
• Internasional

La Spezia (Italy), NetizenBali.com - Monterosso al Mare is located at the center of a small natural gulf, protected by a small artificial reef, to the east of Punta Mesco in the Riviera of La Spezia, netizenbali.com visited this village exactly last year, on July 31, 2019.

It is the westernmost of the Cinque Terre. In the west part of the original village, beyond the hill of the Capuchins, it is the village of Fegina, natural expansion and characterized by a relatively modern tourist resort facility compared to the ancient village that is reachable through a tunnel of a few tens of meters.

Photo by NetizenBali.com

The local train station is located at Fegina and the beaches are relatively larger compared to the narrow cliffs that characterize the other villages of the Cinque Terre.

The town is divided into two distinct parts: the old town and the new town. The two areas are divided by a single tunnel that caters to pedestrians and the very few cars in the town.

Photo by NetizenBali.com

The beach at Monterosso runs along most of the coast line and is well used by tourists and locals. The beach is the only extensive sand beach in the Cinque Terre. Monterosso is a small town overrun by tourists in the summer months.

The village was briefly excluded from the Cinque Terre trail in 1948, but was re-introduced in mid-1949. Italian officials considered the village too large to be considered part of the historic trail.

Monterosso’s train station is the largest in Cinque Terre region and offers the most services. There are only three tracks, but both regional and high-speed trains stop here.

Photo by NetizenBali.com

Trains traveling south toward La Spezia and the other four towns in the Cinque Terre stop on track one, and those traveling north out of Cinque Terre towards Genoa are on track three, accessed by an underground passage with stairs.

The station is located quite close to the tunnel where trains to and from La Spezia pass, and longer trains often remain partially inside the tunnel when stopped.

The platform continues for a stretch inside the tunnel, so passengers can get on and off the train even if their car has stopped in the tunnel. The station has a bar, public restrooms, a staffed ticket office, and luggage storage.

Photo by NetizenBali.com

The village of Monterosso has a new part next to the train station, and an old town, about a ten minute walk away. There are also shuttle buses between the station and the old town.

Monterosso al Mare’s train station dates from 1874, the year in which the Sestri Levante rail line was inaugurated, which runs between the Cinque Terre villages. 

The historic building, located in the new part of town directly above Fegina beach, maintains the charm of a sleepy provincial station, and faces inland toward the cliffside, though there are pretty views of the sea and village from the platform. 

Originally, the village was only accessible by sea or by mule paths that connected the villages of the Cinque Terre and to Via Roma, the main road that connected all of Italy to Rome. These mule paths have been maintained and used over the centuries and now provide hikers with a more intimate view of the sea-swept Cinque Terre.

The area was recently designated as part of the national park system and is considered a protected area, to the effect of limited development and resource usage. The Cinque Terre hiking trails have been taken over by the national park system and there is now a fee to hike on all portions of the trail.

Photo by NetizenBali.com

Last year netizenbali.com take the best way to go to Monterosso is to take local trains from La Spezia. The train network reaches the other villages of Cinque Terre as well.

The area is famous for its many lemon trees that can be seen throughout Monterosso. It is also renowned for its white wines, grapes, and olives. (*)