Cinque Terre ("Five Lands") is an approximately twelve kilometers long, climatically favorable coastal strip northwest of La Spezia.

The Cinque Terre area is a popular tourist destination. Over the centuries people have built terraces in the rugged, steep landscape up to the cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea. Paths, trains, and boats connect the five villages. The coastline, five villages, and surrounding hills are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 1874 the railway line from Genoa to La Spezia was built along the coast, and each of the five villages got a railway station. Outside the train stations, the route runs almost exclusively in tunnels.

Corniglia, seen from Vernazza