Italy’s Iconic ‘Path of Love’ Reopens After 12-Year Closure

One of the world’s most romantic trails, Italy’s Via dell’Amore ("Path of Love"), will reopen on Saturday, July 27, following a refurbishment costing over $24 million, the Italian Tourism Ministry announced Friday.

This picturesque 900-meter (2,950-foot) route between Riomaggiore and Manarola in Liguria's Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, had been closed since a 2012 landslide injured four Australian tourists.

The reopening of the trail was challenging due to its fragile cliffside location. The refurbishment, which began on January 14, 2022, and finished on July 19, 2024, involved significant engineering feats. Specialized companies used helicopters to transport materials and installed a stainless steel net and deep bolts to secure the cliffside. Rock climbers moved equipment while suspended with ropes and steel cables anchored into the rock.

The total investment of almost €24 million (about $26 million) was shared among various Italian ministries. The Path of Love will now be managed by the Municipality of Riomaggiore as an open-air museum. Initially, from July 27 to August 8, access will be limited to residents of Cinque Terre, Levanto, La Spezia, former residents, and owners of second homes in Riomaggiore.

Starting August 9, the path will open to tourists. Visitors must book in advance on the website www.viadellamore.info (currently under construction) and pay a €10 (approximately $11) fee. Access will be restricted to a maximum of 400 people per hour, divided into groups of 100 every 15 minutes, with guides present during visits. The route will be one-way, starting from Riomaggiore towards Manarola.

On Friday evening, the Path of Love was officially inaugurated by government officials and local authorities. Giacomo Giampedrone, commissioner for the safety work, expressed pride in returning the Via dell’Amore to residents and tourists alike in complete safety and with its beauty intact. He highlighted the complex and spectacular nature of the restoration, comparing it to recovering an invaluable work of art.

Giampedrone invited visitors to Liguria to admire the Via dell’Amore, describing it as a unique place set between the sky and sea, embedded in the rock, within a natural paradise. He promised that its breathtaking beauty would leave visitors in awe.

Source: CNN