Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro

For the adventurous couple, take a cable car up to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro, considered one of the most characteristic churches in Italy’s Liquria coast. A perfect adventure for your honeymoon or romantic vacation in the Cinque Terre.

The cable car offers a breathtaking ride up to the Neo-Gothic church with stunning views of Rapallo and as far as Portofino. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro is nestled in the woods of the hills overlooking Rapallo and offers lovely picnic places, beautiful walks and a romantic adventure set to the backdrop of the Cinque Terre.

Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to a farmer here, presenting him with a Greek-Byzantine icon and asked him to build a church to house it. Our Lady of Montallegro attracts numerous pilgrims as well as non-religious visitors and is a favorite destination for hikers exploring this part of the Italian Riviera.

The cable car is accessible a short distance from the Hotel Bristol in Rapallo, Italy. It is also possible to find your way to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro via bus or a short up hill hike. Either way, this Neo-Gothic church is well worth a visit on your romantic vacation to the Cinque Terre.

Great Scottish Adventure Tour

Celtic Tours is proud to introduce Great Scottish Adventure

Explore Scotland's wilderness with this active vacation. Kayaking, canyoning and hiking through the beauty of Scotland!

Your Great Scottish Adventure Includes:

• 7 Nights Accommodations
• Breakfast daily, except day of arrival
• Activities: Canyoning (3 Hr), Kayaking (3 Hr), Cruise Loch Ness, Hiking Map of Glen Affric, Hiking Map of Loch Lomond area; all activities are subject to availability at time of booking
• Great Scottish Adventure Road Book with full itinerary and additional Scotland/sightseeing information 
• Car Rental: Group C Standard Shift Car*
• Carbon offsetting contribution donated to the National Trust for Scotland

*Upgrades to automatic and larger cars available for a supplement.

Learn More about this exciting tour of Scotland

Hiking in Ireland: Mount Brandon

Ireland offers something for everyone, here is a great hike for the expert climber and the tourist alike. Mount Brandon on Dingle Peninsula, in County Kerry takes its name from Saint Brendan, “The Navigator”, who legend suggests climbed to the summit around AD 530 to see the Americas, before setting sail for them.

Mount Brandon is the second highest mountain in Ireland. On a clear day, the summit commands spectacular views right across the west coast. Nevertheless, being on the Atlantic coast, clear days are few and far between. The western slope of Mount Brandon presents a huge contrast from its eastern side, as it largely escaped the gouging effect of the glaciers, with the result that it presents an almost unbroken grassy slope.

There are several main routes up the mountain. The main tourist route would be from the West from Ballyrack. This is a nice gentle slope to the summit, ideal for the average tourist, as it is a little more than a nice walk. For the serious hiker, the best route is from the East. Beginning in the village of Cloghan. This route includes quite a steep incline involving some hands and knees scrambling to reach the top and is not recommended for casual walkers. It involves walking along the knife-edge Ridge, with quite impressive drops away on both sides. Either way, Mount Brandon is quite a sight to see.