Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Town View:
The major river of this region once ran through this valley, as implied by
the name Riomaggiore (local dialect for “river” and “major”). As in the other Cinque Terre
towns,theriverravineisnowpavedover,andtheromanticarchedbridgesthatonceconnec-
ted the two sides have been replaced by a practical modern road.
Noticethelackofuglyaerialantennae.Inthe1980s,everyresidencegotcable.Now,the
TV tower on the hilltop behind the church steeple brings the modern world into each home.
The church was rebuilt in 1870, but was first established in 1340. It's dedicated to St. John
the Baptist, the patron saint of Genoa, the maritime republic that once dominated the region.
• Continue past the church down to Riomaggiore's main street, named...
Via Colombo:
Walk about 30 feet beyond the WC, go down the stairs, and—if it's
open—pop into the tiny Cinque Terre Antiche museum (€0.50, free with Cinque Terre Park
Card, generally closed). Inside, sit down for a few minutes to watch a circa-1950 video of
the Cinque Terre.
Continuing down Via Colombo, you'll pass a bakery, a couple of grocery shops, and the
self-service laundry. There's homemade gelato next to the Bar Centrale. Above where Via
Colombo dead-ends, a park-like square built over the train tracks gives the children of the
townalevelbitoflanduponwhichtokicktheirsoccerballs.Themuralsabovecelebratethe
great-grandparents of these very children—the salt-of-the-earth locals who earned a humble
living before the age of tourism. To the left, stairs lead down to the Marina neighborhood,
with the harbor, the boat dock, a 200-yard trail to the beach
(spiaggia),
and an inviting little
art gallery. To the right of the stairs is the pedestrian tunnel, running alongside the tracks,
which takes you directly back to the station and the trail to the other towns. From here, you
can take a train, hop a boat, or hike to your next destination.
