It is one of the most fascinating paths we have in Italy, a favorite destination for lovers. The "Via dell'amore" will reopen, but only in 2023, the famous and romantic route of Park national park of the Cinque Terre in Liguria. The recovery works of the route are currently in progress, after a landslide that forced the closure of the section in 2012. Then the long planning, the necessary funding and the start of interventions to make the route safe. Another place to visit, therefore, as soon as tourism starts again. We still have to wait two years but the prospects are already clear.
Via dell'amore, the characteristics of this path
Known to lovers of trekking, but also to simple park visitors, the path of the Way of love is truly fascinating. It connects the village of Riomaggiore to that of Manarola. But its peculiarity is to connect the five villages of the park in a very long path that runs along the entire mountain overlooking the sea. Excavated in the XNUMXs during the construction of the railway and used as an explosives warehouse for the construction of the tunnel.
It is said that in this path in front of a panorama full of charm and breathtaking to say the least, lovers met halfway between the villages. But the route is not long: it is only 900 meters which however give those who have the opportunity to walk it an extraordinary spectacle in nature. The characteristics of the path are: a width of the road that varies from 1,5 to 2 meters, in some sections up to 3 meters. Thirteen hectares of steep and steep terrain about 230 meters above sea level.
The collapse of a section of the path and the recovery project
The path of the Via dell'amore was closed in 2012, following a landslide of a stretch that injured some tourists. It is currently only accessible for a distance of 200 meters. The rest is affected by a long recovery project that was presented in 2019. In fact, approximately thirty months of interventions are expected to return the path overlooking the sea in complete safety. The project amounts to approximately 12 million euros. These are regional funds, from the Ministry of the Environment and Mibac.
The interventions that are affecting the Via dell'amore concern the extension of the artificial tunnel by another 80 meters on the side where the collapse was recorded, work on the walls above and below the path. The construction of a steel net adhering to the slopes, rockfall barriers, interventions to block unstable parts of rock is also planned. The integration of the artefacts into the landscape will be achieved with the choice of materials and finishes and the inclusion of plant elements.
Useful information for the visit
The path of the Way of love, when it is reopened in its entirety, therefore, can be visited. Here is some useful information to follow it. Meanwhile, the starting point is in Riomaggiore at the train station. Also full of charm is the cliff, overlooking the sea, with Mediterranean scrub characterized by Aleppo pines, mastic and euphorbia, vineyards. In a stretch you can also go down to the sea and swim. In order to visit the park, a Card is available which gives the possibility to visit the Unesco heritage site and access different areas.
