Village
Vernazza
Cinque Terre · Liguria
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Village
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Cinque Terre · Liguria
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Vernazza is the village most people picture when they think of the Cinque Terre: a small natural harbour with a single piazza opening onto the sea, pastel houses rising steeply behind it, and the Doria castle perched on the promontory above. The church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia stands beside the bay with its striped marble façade, and a short climb up to the castle gives the view over the village and the coast. It has been a fishing village since the Middle Ages, and the harbour is still the working heart of the place, where the boats are pulled up beside the café tables.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Vernazza was founded in the 1st century as a Roman naval base and grew into a medieval fishing and trading village under the Republic of Genoa, which held it from the 13th century. Its natural harbour made it the most prosperous of the five villages, and the Doria castle and the church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, built in 1318, date from the Genoese period. The village was badly damaged by a flood and landslide in October 2011, which buried the main street in mud, but it has since been restored. The Cinque Terre as a whole was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The harbour piazza — the small square on the water, the most photographed spot in the Cinque Terre.
The Doria castle — the medieval castle on the promontory, with the view over the village and the sea.
The church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia — the 14th-century church with its striped façade beside the bay.
The main street — the carruggio that climbs from the harbour through the village.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Vernazza is the village that gives the Cinque Terre its image — the harbour, the pastel houses, the castle above — and it is the one that most rewards a slow visit, because the harbour piazza is a place to sit rather than a sight to tick. For a visitor, it is the natural first stop and the one most people return to.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Vernazza
Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
44.1361, 9.6842
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FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Nessun Dorma — a celebrated bar and kitchen above the harbour in Manarola, for focaccia, pesto and the view
Gambero Rosso — a seafood restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, for fresh catch and trofie al pesto
Cappun Magru — a refined restaurant in Monterosso for traditional Ligurian cooking, book ahead
A Cantina da Mananan — a beloved trattoria in Corniglia for local cooking and Sciacchetrà wine
Rio Maggiore — a harbour-side kitchen in Riomaggiore for fried anchovies and focaccia
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Hotel Porto Roca — a hotel on the cliffs above Monterosso with a pool and sea views
La Torretta — a charming guesthouse above the harbour in Manarola, with a terrace
Hotel Gianni Franzi — simple rooms above a restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, with harbour views
A Cà du Sciensa — a small guesthouse in Riomaggiore, good value for a village stay
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
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