Rick Steves’ Europe: Cinque Terre, Italy
Italy’s answer to the French Riviera offers swimming, hiking, romance and relaxation along the Mediterranean
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Vernazza
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The breathtaking refuge of Vernazza, the jewel of Italy's Cinque Terre villages boasts a harborfront beach, seaside cafes, friendly residents and unbroken traditions.
Vino delle Cinque Terre
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The vino delle Cinque Terre, famous throughout Italy, flows cheap and easy throughout the region. If you like sweet, sherrylike wine, try the local Sciacchetra -- served with a cookie.
Mediterranean Sea
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Along the Cinque Terre's coastline and in Vernazza itself, the allure of the Mediterranean, Italy and village life fuses potently.
Vernazza Beach at Night
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In the cool, calm early evening, one can sit on the Vernazzza breakwater nursing a glass of wine before going on to share a pasta dish at a restaurant.
Cinque Terre
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The five villages in Italy's Cinque Terre is the traffic-free, lowerbrowed, underappreciated alternative to the French Riviera
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