Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• Finish your town tour seated out on the breakwater (perhaps with a glass of local white
wine or something more interesting from a nearby bar—borrow the glass, they don't mind).
Face the town, and see...
The Harbor:
In a moderate storm, you'd be soaked, as waves routinely crash over the
molo
(breakwater, built in 1972). Waves can rearrange the huge rocks—depositing them
from the breakwater onto the piazza and its benches. Freak waves have even washed away
tourists squinting excitedly into their cameras. (I've seen it happen.) In 2007, an American
womanwassweptawayandkilledbyaroguewave.Enjoythewaterfrontpiazza—carefully.
The train line (to your left) was constructed in 1874 to tie together a newly united Italy,
and linked Turin and Genoa with Rome. A second line (hidden in a tunnel at this point) was
built in the 1920s. The yellow building alongside the tracks was Vernazza's first train sta-
tion.Youcanseethefourbricked-upalcoveswherepeopleoncewaitedfortrains.Noticethe
wonderful concrete sunbathing strip (and place for late-night privacy) laid below the tracks
along the rocks.
Vernazza's fishing fleet is down to just a couple of boats (with the net spools). While the
2011floodwashedawaymanyofthetown'sboatsandcars(oneboatwasactuallyrecovered
in Spain), Vernazzans are still more likely to own a boat than a car, and it's said that you
stand a better chance of surviving if you mess with a local man's wife than with his boat.
On a recent visit just after the flood, I ran into Tonino, who showed me photo of his boat,
Gustina,
with this caption: “Tonino loved me and the flood kidnapped me.” Tonino said he
wasluckytohavebeenstrandedacrossthestreetwhen
Gustina
wassweptaway,orhelikely
would have been swept out to sea with her.
Boats are on buoys, except in winter or when the red storm flag (see the pole at the
start of the breakwater) indicates bad seas. At these times, the boats are pulled up onto the
square—which is usually reserved for restaurant tables. In the 1970s, tiny Vernazza had one
of Italy's top water polo teams, and the harbor was their “pool.” Later, when the league re-
quired a real pool, Vernazza dropped out.
TheCastle:
Onthefarright,thecastle,whichisnowagrassyparkwithgreatviews(and
nothing but stones), still guards the town (€1.50 donation, daily 10:00-19:00; from harbor,
take stairs by Trattoria Gianni and follow
Ristorante al Castello
signs, tower is a few steps
beyond). This was the town's watchtower back in pirate days, and a Nazi lookout in World
WarII.ThecastletowerlooksnewbecauseitwasrebuiltaftertheBritishbombedit,chasing
out the Germans. The highest umbrellas mark the recommended Ristorante Al Castello. The
squat tower on the water is great for a glass of wine or a meal. From the breakwater, you
could follow the rope to the Ristorante Belforte and pop inside, past the actual submarine
door. A photo of a major storm showing the entire tower under a wave (not uncommon in
the winter) hangs near the bar.
