Manarola

Manarolais a municipality of the La Spezia Province. Together with Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso is one of the five villages comprised in Cinque Terre. Manarola is considered to be one of the most picturesque towns on the Riviera Ligure and every year is visited by many tourists. The town offers a great choice of accommodation suitable for all needs and budgets such as hotels, pensioni (small inns), bed and breakfast and many restaurants. Founded probably by migrant populations belonging to the Roman settlement of Volastra in search for a direct access to the sea, the town derives its name from the Latin expression Manium arula meaning "temple dedicated to Mani". The town is characterized by the typical houses built close to the Via di Mezzo (Middle Street), the main street built when the torrent Groppo was drained. The main architectural buildings of the town are the Castle, nowadays a private house, the Church of San Lorenzo, the Oratory and the Bell Tower. Manarola is easy to reach thanks to a tourist sea service linking the various maritime villages. Tourists can also get there by car (Motorway A12 or A15) or by train. Manarola is well renowned for its local wine, called Sciacchetrà, and for its Lovers' Lane or Via dell'Amore, a path leading to Riomaggiore, sheer above the sea.