Closed since 2012 following a landslide, the Via dell'Amore (Lovers’ Lane), the Cinque Terre’s most famous path, is scheduled to be repaired starting this fall and reopened in 2023, according to a plan presented by the Cinque Terre National Park last week.
The scenic trail that connects the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola, the first two of the Cinque Terre, is set to be restored in 28 months with funds (€12M) provided by the region of Liguria, Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Planned interventions include securing the entire Via dell'Amore, blocking rocks above and below the route with steel mesh and bolts; and extending an 80-meter-long artificial tunnel that runs under part of the path that has collapsed.
“For us, this is a challenge similar to the Morandi bridge, a reopening awaited by the whole world,” said the president of the Cinque Terre National Park, Donatella Bianchi, referring to the collapse of a bridge in Genoa that killed 43 people and left 600 homeless in 2018.
Liguria governor Giovanni Toti said the Lovers’ Lane is a symbol of the Cinque Terre, and added, “It is unacceptable that one of the symbols of a place famous all over the world should no longer be accessible.”
Among the most beautiful trails in Italy, the Via dell'Amore has long been a highlight of the Cinque Terre. It overlooks the sea, and winds its way through a diverse ecosystem, from sandstone to Mediterranean scrub to terraced vineyards.
For those who love exploring the Cinque Terre on foot, there are alternatives until the Via dell’Amore reopens. They can opt for the Sentiero Azzurro, which links all five villages of the Cinque Terre (except for the stretch between Riomaggiore and Manarola, which corresponds to the Via dell’Amore); it is 12 km long and can be walked in stretches, from one village to the next. Or they can explore the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, a long-distance hiking trail about 440 km long with 44 day hikes.
