The castle at the top of the village dates to 1260, built to defend against pirate raids from the sea. Today it is a quiet spot reached by climbing up from Via Colombo via the Scalinata della Valle staircase — a short but steep walk. The castle offers excellent views over the rooftops down to the sea, and out toward Manarola. It is often less crowded than the harbour, which makes it worth the climb even at midday.