Famous hiking route set for full comeback in 2024
By Maureen O’Hare for CNN – Love is in the air – or at least, it’s really high up a cliff.
Italy’s Via dell’Amore (“Path of Love”) bills itself as “the most romantic walk in the world.” It’s long been the most popular hiking path in the roughly 75 miles (121 kilometers) of trails that wind around the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It closed after a landslide in 2012, but now – after a lengthy refurbishment – the first section has reopened for a summer preview until September 30. The full trail will reopen in July 2024.
To combat overtourism in what is one of the most visited regions in one of the world’s most visited countries, access is now only by guided tour (tickets are just over $5) to protect the landscape for future generations. Tourists are reminded to be respectful of local culture and heritage, lest the “path of love” turn into a “walk of shame.”
