State Road 163 from Positano to Vietri sul Mare has been included by National Geographic among the “Drivers of a Lifetime”, a list of fifty journeys literally by car.
Amalfi Coast between Drivers of a Lifetime
And since 1997 it has been declared by UNESCO World Heritage. But besides lists and charts, the Amalfi Coast has a very special place in our hearts, in addition to its beauty and hospitality, which has been recognized worldwide for decades. For us these places have the great added value of being the theater of some of the most important events of our lives. We started attending Positano and other fairytale countries of the Coast since engaging.
Memorable our journey between the curves and the breathtaking views of the asphalt ribbon starting from Vietri sul Mare comes to Positano on board the Honda Transalp. And in a restaurant overlooking the beach of Positano, Michele asked me to marry him: which picture frame is better?
In Positano and on the Costiera we returned many more times and for ten consecutive years with our Arturo, as long as it could climb and descend the many steps leading to the beach.
And he has always been welcome, both on the golden sand of Marina Grande and on the pebbles of Fornillo‘s most secluded beach.
Our tour of the Costiera, full of memories and indelible stills in the memory, between exciting curves and glimpses to leave without words, begins with Vietri sul Mare, the city of ceramics.
It can not be left without a colorful and hand-painted souvenir, after a walk through the houses covered with “riggiole”, the typical ceramic pottery tiles that decorate the dome of the splendid church of San Giovanni Battista. But it’s also worth a stop for a visit to the Ceramica Museum (via Nuova Raito, tel. +39 089 211835, open Tuesday to Sunday, free entrance) and a delicious pit-stop with pezzogna, a local fish, all’acquapazza.
The second stop is Minori, where you can visit the Villa Romana with the attached Antiquarium (Via Capo di Piazza 28, tel. +39 089 852893, open daily from 9am to 1am before sunset, free entry), a patrician residence of the first century AD embellished with stucco and mosaics.
Do not miss the visit to Amalfi and the monumental complex of the Duomo (Piazza Duomo, open daily from 9am to 19.45pm, entrance 3 €), which is dedicated to Sant’Andrea, overlooking the town by an imposing staircase. Its Arab-Norman forms conceal a real gem: the Cloister of Paradise. Also visit the Treasury Museum and the crypt with the relics of Sant’Andrea Apostolo. Amalfi is proud of its past of the powerful Marinara Republic but is also famous for the Valle dei Mulini that once provided water for the paper mills that produced the famous Amalfi paper.
The snack is made by Cioccolateria Pansa (Piazza Municipio 12, tel. +39 089 873291) where you can go for a snack of pralines, truffles, chopped citrus dabs and desserts, all made by a family of over 170 years holds high and well preserved the ancient customs of the confectionery of the Amalfi Coast.
