Vernazza Italy poster print

As one of the five towns that form the Cinque Terre region in Northern Italy, Vernazza is often classed as the most beautiful of the bunch (some even claim one of the most beautiful in all of Italy). The weather here remains fairly steady and rarely rises to extremes summer months attract highs of the 25 degrees Celsius, whereas in the winter it drops to single figures (though you should definitely plan for a bit of rain at any time of year).

Although Vernazza still remains a true fishing village at heart, it has a rather more elegant and cosmopolitan feel about it. Arranged beautifully on a steep hill and surrounded by olive groves, tourists can take in a birds-eye view from above of the tower-style buildings (still in a traditional candy-coloured hue) and harbour peppered with colourful boats. In the village itself, the stepped streets and piazzas are lined with arcades and overflow with flowers and plants. Wandering around is made easier by the fact that no cars are allowed in town. The village also has two small beaches near the harbour and main square.

Vernazza (as part of the Cinque Terre region) provided inspiration for the setting for the 2021 animated film Luca, for which the animators visited the area. Rather more surprisingly; the village was also the inspiration for fictional town Sapienza from the 2016 video game Hitman; which included some of Vernazzas well-known landmarks such as Doria Castle and the Chapel of Santa Maria.