Campiglia: Trails, views and local history

Campiglia brings together several features that may shape your choice of destination: trails with named destinations, views of the coast and mountains, and agricultural terraces and historic buildings. For your planning, it is worth considering these aspects separately: the routes have different destinations and descriptions, while the landscape and local history reveal Campiglia’s character.

Trails and views

Campiglia is an important resting point on the AV5T. On this route, the Pitone rocky outcrop offers views of the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, as well as the Cinque Terre coast. Trail 535 starts in Campiglia at Vico Codemin and leads to an equipped viewpoint with a wooden bench. This gives you a specific starting point in the village and a named viewpoint as the destination for this trail.

Trail 504C branches off near Trail 535 and leads to Schiara. Trail 536 reaches a junction with Trail 535, which comes from Campiglia. In addition, the area around Campiglia is crisscrossed by many trails linking La Spezia, Porto Venere and the Cinque Terre. Conditions on Trail 504C may change; check them before your hike.

Another option is the ancient Campiglia–Acquasanta mule track, CAI Trail No. 11. It starts in the village center, was built in the late 19th century and was the only link between the village and the city. The route descends from an elevation of 401 m to 102 m and is 1,480 m long, plus 1,250 m on paved roads. Walking time is about 30 minutes, plus 15 minutes. These estimates give you a specific guide for planning your time without equating the route with the paths of the other trails.

Terraces and landscape

Campiglia is a hillside hamlet built directly on the rock, with winding streets. From Campiglia, there are views of the Gulf of La Spezia and the Apuan Alps. The vistas also extend to the Tuscan Archipelago, Corsica and the Maritime Alps. The named viewpoints and landscapes offer different perspectives on the surrounding area.

The landscape around Campiglia includes terraces supported by dry-stone walls, where grapevines and olive trees are grown. Some of the well-preserved terraces along Trail 535 are used for saffron cultivation, which was reintroduced by the Associazione Campiglia. Along the trail, you will encounter both the terraced landscape and a specific agricultural crop.

History and buildings

The Church of Santa Caterina di Alessandria in Campiglia is documented from 1326. The place name Campiglia is first mentioned for the Tramonti area in a document by Otto II dating to 991. A probable menhir has also been identified in the Tramonti area. These references concern different aspects of history: the church in the village, and the place name and an archaeological find in the wider Tramonti area.

The Campiglia mill was restored between 2003 and 2006 by the Cinque Terre National Park together with the Associazione Campiglia. Its exterior sandstone staircase was rebuilt with the missing steps, and a steel railing was installed for visitor safety. On Trail 598-1 (AV5T 1), the mill is listed as an ethnographic testimony. Its restoration history is thus linked to its designation along this trail.

Discover more destinations: Maissana, Casale, Castello, Corniglia, La Spezia, Zignago, La Foce, Bracelli.

Return to the main travel overview: La Spezia.