Viewpoint Corniglia

This guide to the Corniglia viewpoint in Cinque Terre starts with a persistent myth about the Lardarina, the brick staircase climbing from the train station to the village, and the real reason for its shape: Corniglia is the only one of the five villages that never touches the sea. It follows the farmers who terraced the slopes below into vines and olive groves, hauling soil and harvest up these same switchbacks long before tourists came. Listen for how the Vernaccia grapes growing around you trace back to antiquity, and where the sea finally comes into view.