Rome is on everyone’s top 10 list for a European vacation but Italy has more to offer than the Colosseum and Vatican so consider a few days off the beaten path in timeless Cinque Terre where you’ll find five tiny villages suspended above the sea and romance in every magical corner.

The Cinque Terre, on the Italian Riviera, is easily one of the most beautiful places in the world and it’s hard to believe these places are hundreds of years old and not just made for human amusement. The villages, dating from the early thirteenth century, are known for postcard perfect views, miles of spectacular walking and hiking trails, historic character, vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards.

Jaymze Kennedy, a Seattle area photographer specializing in weddings, had this to say about Riomaggiore, one of the five villages in the Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore is one of the few places where it’s everything you thought it would be from the pictures. Small alley ways, small shops, hardly any signs of touristy activity. It’s virtually perfect and the Mediterranean sea kisses it’s shores like you will see many couples doing here.

It did not surprise me to find a couple doing an engagement session here. It’s virtually everything you could want for scenery and ultimately compliments the romantic mood. There is not enough I can say about the Cinque Terre. It was the most peaceful place I visited in weeks of traveling through Europe and the perfect escape after Rome. If you have one place you need to experience in your life…it should be here. And if you are getting engaged, married or are a couple that needs a get away…THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO GO!

The Cinque Terre  “The Five Lands” is comprised of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Riomaggiore is the closest to La Spezia and major train connections and the beginning of the area’s famous walks. For more information and assistance planning your vacation or honeymoon in Italy please call or email Linda Totem Travel’s Europe specialist.