Versilia, a very famous seaside location with a verdant coastline which is both long and straight, it also has excellent tourist facilities, elegant shops and a vibrant night-life. The scenery is highlighted by golden sandy beaches and by masses of Mediterranean shrubbery consisting of fresh smelling pine forests while in the background the Apuanian Alps stand tall and it is here that the noble Carrara white marble is extracted. Famous resorts are: the elegant Forte dei Marmi, Pietrasanta which is where internationally famous sculptors have their studios and of course Viareggio which is famous for its bathing establishments, for its promenade along the seafront and for its Carnival, when the imposing satirical floats parade between the crowds. Continuing northwards along the coast you reach Le Cinque Terre (literally the 5 lands) in Liguria. The name indicates the rugged region which extends from Levanto to the Portovenere promontory. Le Cinque Terre include five ancient and picturesque hamlets built on the top of sheer drops down to the sea below and which are linked to the mainland by a railway line in a natural backdrop of rare beauty.