One of the world’s most iconic and romantic trails – Italy’s Via dell’Amore (“Way of Love”) – will reopen on Saturday, July 27, after a long renovation and a total investment of more than US$24 million, it said. the Italian Ministry of Tourism. announced Friday.
The 900-meter (2,950-foot) panoramic route overlooking the sea is located in the municipality of Riomaggiore. It is located in the northern region of Liguria, in the heart of the natural paradise of Cinque Terre, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
The trail had been closed since September 2012 following a landslide that injured four Australian tourists.
The reopening of the path has been quite complex due to its fragile location on the cliff. It has been an engineering challenge due to its precarious location carved into the rock between the sky and the sea, the Ministry of Tourism said in a press release sent to CNN.
The renovation works began on January 14, 2022 and concluded on July 19, 2024. Specialized companies worked on site, using helicopters to transport materials and install stainless steel mesh and deep screws. Climbers moved equipment on the walls suspended by ropes and steel cables from special anchors.
The overall investment was almost 24 million euros (around 26 million dollars) divided between several ministries in Italy.
The path will be managed by Riomaggiore City Council as an open-air museum.
From July 27th to August 8th, the path will be open exclusively to residents of Cinque Terre, as well as Levanto, La Spezia and former residents and second home owners of the Municipality of Riomaggiore and their families.
From August 9th, the path will also be accessible to tourists. Visitors must book in advance on the website www.viadellamore.info (which is still under construction) and pay a fee Fee €10 (approximately US$11). Guides will be present during the visits.
Access will be limited to a maximum of 400 people per hour, divided into groups of 100 people every 15 minutes, Riomaggiore City Hall said Friday on its website.
Tourists will enter through Riomaggiore towards Manarola on a one-way route.
On Friday night the “Caminho do Amor” was officially inaugurated by government representatives and local authorities.
“It is a great pride for us to be able to return Via dell’Amore, in all its beauty, uniqueness and in complete safety, to residents, Ligurians and tourists from all over the world,” said Giacomo Giampedrone, commissioner for security work.
Giampedrone said that the Liguria region financed and was responsible for the work to restore the safety of the path.
“It was a work as complex as it was spectacular, carried out exactly like the recovery of a priceless work of art, with maximum protection and respect for the environment,” said Giampedrone.
“My invitation is to come to Liguria and admire the Via dell’Amore: let yourself be surprised by this unique place, suspended between the sky and the sea, set in the rock, in the heart of a natural paradise. You will be left breathless by its beauty.”
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