Good to know
Good to Know
- Cinque Terre National Park is free to enter; you only pay if hiking the paid Blue Trail sections or taking advantage of other card services.
- The five villages (Monterosso, Vernazzo, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore) each have unique character—Vernazzo has the most photographed harbor with castle ruins; Monterosso is the only village with a true sandy beach.
- Not all coastal trails require payment: the free sections include Manarola-Corniglia (currently closed) and other high-altitude routes. Only the Monterosso-Vernazzo-Corniglia coastal section requires the card.
- Churches are generally free to enter; each village has historic examples dating from medieval period onwards.
- Peak season (June-August) is crowded with day-trippers; many recommend visiting April-May or September-October for better experience.
- Via dell'Amore (Path of Love) reopened in August 2024 after 12-year closure due to landslides; now requires booked time slots due to capacity limits.
- Some museums within Cinque Terre are currently closed (Sciacchetra, Oil Mill); check locally before planning visits.
- Memory Museum has very limited weekend-only hours (10:30am-12:30pm); plan accordingly.
- La Spezia (nearby city) holds multiple museums worth day-trip exploration, with Cinque Terre Card discounts available.
- Hiking trails require proper footwear with grip soles (Vibram-type); open shoes prohibited and enforced by park regulations.
- Coastal hiking offers extraordinary Mediterranean vistas; less-crowded high-altitude trails available through terraced vineyards and forest areas.
Churches
Chiesa San Francesco (Church of San Francesco)
- Location
- Monterosso al Mare
- Year Built
- 1632
- Notes
- Contains artworks including 1529 painting by Domenico Gare.
- Description
- 17th-century church and Cappuchin Convent featuring precious paintings and magnificent views over Cinque Terre coastline.
Chiesa Di San Giovanni Battista
- Location
- Monterosso al Mare
- Notes
- Free entry.
- Description
- One of Cinque Terre's oldest churches, striking Romanesque building with white marble and dark green serpentine stripes, large rose window, and 18th-century fresco of Saint John the Baptist.
Chiesa Di Santa Margherita d'Antiochia
- Location
- Vernazzo
- Year Built
- 1318
- Notes
- Vernazzo's main church; free entry.
- Description
- Gothic-Baroque-Romanesque church sitting on water's edge with distinctive octagonal bell tower reflected in sea.
Chiesa Di San Lorenzo
- Location
- Manarola
- Year Built
- 1338
- Notes
- Free entry; located at Piazzale Papa Innocenzo IV.
- Description
- Small Gothic stone church built for Manarola's patron saint, featuring marble rose window and triptych paintings.
Chiesa Di San Pietro
- Location
- Corniglia
- Notes
- Free entry; visit near village entrance.
- Description
- 14th-century Gothic church with white marble rose window, housing Madonna del Rosario oil painting by Prospero Luxardi (18 panels depicting Mysteries of the Rosary).
Must See Sites
Castello Doria (Vernazzo)
- Village
- Vernazzo
- Notes
- Accessible by climbing narrow staircase from harbour. Often crowded at sunset.
- Description
- Medieval castle ruins dating to 11th century, now accessible to visitors. Offers panoramic views of the Ligurian coastline and Vernazzo village.
Chiesa San Pietro (Church of Saint Peter)
- Village
- Portovenere (nearby to Cinque Terre)
- Admission
- Free
- Notes
- Located between Vernazzo and Portovenere. Accessible via coastal hiking trail.
- Description
- 13th-century church dramatically positioned on a rocky islet surrounded by sea, featuring Genovese black-striped marble facade. Remarkable seaside architecture.
Via dell'Amore (Path of Love)
- Villages
- Riomaggiore to Manarola
- Admission
- €10
- Notes
- Reopened in 2024 after 12-year closure. Requires advance time-slot booking online. Included in Cinque Terre Card.
- Description
- Scenic 900-meter coastal walkway between Riomaggiore and Manarola, famous for Mediterranean views and romantic atmosphere.
Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail)
- Villages
- All five villages
- Admission
- €5.00
- Notes
- Only sections between Monterosso-Vernazzo-Corniglia require paid card. Other trails free. Via dell'Amore now included in card price.
- Description
- Famous coastal hiking trail connecting the five villages with spectacular clifftop views. Most popular sections: Monterosso-Vernazzo and Vernazzo-Corniglia.
Museums And Galleries
Memory Museum
- Hours
- Weekends only, 10:30am-12:30pm
- Location
- Riomaggiore
- Admission
- Free with Cinque Terre Card
- Notes
- Currently small museum; limited hours indicate limited visitor throughput.
- Description
- Small venue offering comprehensive overview of Cinque Terre history, traditions, nature, flora, agriculture, and cuisine through computer presentations, videos, photos and traditional objects.
Sciacchetra Museum
- Hours
- Currently closed
- Location
- Manarola
- Admission
- Free with Cinque Terre Card
- Notes
- Museum currently not operating; check locally for reopening status.
- Description
- Museum dedicated to Sciacchetra dessert wine production, featuring computer presentations, videos, photos and traditional objects about local wine-making and agricultural terracing.
Oil Mill (Groppo)
- Location
- Groppo (above Manarola)
- Admission
- Free with Cinque Terre Card
- Notes
- Historic site demonstrating local agricultural heritage.
- Description
- Exhibition showing traditional olive oil production methods with old and new olive presses.
Multimedia Hall
- Location
- Levanto (near Cinque Terre)
- Admission
- Free with Cinque Terre Card
- Notes
- About 10 minutes from Cinque Terre by train.
- Description
- Multimedia exhibition space in Levanto, just outside main Cinque Terre area.
Torre Guardiola Observatory
- Location
- High path area
- Admission
- Free with Cinque Terre Card
- Notes
- Requires hiking up from villages.
- Description
- Historic observation point accessible via high-altitude trails.
Nearby Museums La Spezia
Amedeo Lia Museum
- Notes
- Discounted entry with Cinque Terre Card
- Description
- Art museum housed in 15th-century convent, featuring paintings and sculptures.
Technical Naval Museum
- Notes
- Discounted entry with Cinque Terre Card
- Description
- Comprehensive display of naval history and maritime artifacts across two levels, including weapons, navigational tools, and figureheads.
Center of Modern and Contemporary Art
- Notes
- Discounted entry with Cinque Terre Card
- Description
- Three-section facility featuring temporary exhibitions and permanent collections of modern art from 1933 onwards, plus donated collections.
Civic Museums of La Spezia
- Notes
- Discounted entry with Cinque Terre Card
- Description
- Multiple museums including ethnographic and natural history collections.
Passes And Practical Tips
Train Card
- Inclusions
- All trekking card benefits plus unlimited regional train travel between Levanto-La Spezia and Cinque Terre Express trains
- Price Low Attendance
- €15
- Price High Attendance
- €33
- Price Medium Attendance
- €22
- Description
- Combines hiking access with unlimited train travel between Levanto and La Spezia.
Where To Buy
- Online at official Cinque Terre National Park website (recommended for peak season to avoid queues)
- All railway stations in five villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazzo, Monterosso)
- Levanto and La Spezia train stations
- Tourist information centers in villages
- Entrance points to Blue Trail sections
- Trenitalia (Italian rail provider)
Trekking Card
- Price Low Attendance
- €5.00
- Price High Attendance
- €10
- Price Medium Attendance
- €8.00
- Description
- Hiking-focused pass granting access to paid Blue Trail sections and buses.
Inclusions
- Access to paid sections of Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail) between Monterosso-Vernazzo-Corniglia
- Free local bus rides within villages
- Free public toilets at train stations
- Free Wi-Fi at park hotspots
- Free entry to Memory Museum, Sciacchetra Museum, Oil Mill, Multimedia Hall, Torre Guardiola
- Discounted entry to La Spezia civic museums
- Bike rental discounts
Practical Tips
- No entry fee to park itself—cards only needed for specific trails and trains
- Via dell'Amore requires advance time-slot booking online (included in card price as of 2026)
- Many trails in park free; only popular coastal sections require fee
- Buy online during peak season (May-September) to avoid lengthy station queues
- Single train tickets cost €5-10 depending on route; card pays for itself if taking 3+ train journeys
- Family cards provide significant savings vs. individual tickets
- Card valid until midnight of purchase day (day pass) or following midnight (multi-day)
Multi Day Options
- Family Discount
- Discounts available for families (2 adults + 2 children aged 4-11)
- Note
- 2-day and 3-day cards available at proportionally higher prices
Cinque Terre Card Overview
- Note
- Prices vary A (low), B (medium), C (high) based on date of visit.
- Description
- Main visitor pass for Cinque Terre National Park, available in two versions with dynamic pricing based on attendance level.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this history, museums & sightseeing research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.incinqueterre.com
- 2.cinqueterre-travel.com
- 3.laspeziaguide.com
- 4.bestofcinqueterre.com
- 5.cinque-terre-tourism.com
- 6.cinque-terre-tourism.com
- 7.cinqueterre-travel.com
- 8.cinque-terre-tourism.com
- 9.racv.com.au
- 10.discovernorthernitaly.com
- 11.touristitaly.com
- 12.tripadvisor.com
- 13.laspeziaguide.com
- 14.visitcinqueterre.eu
- 15.xe.com
More About Cinque Terre
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.