Palermo, Italy - the capital of Sicily

Founded by Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, but received its name from the ancient Greeks and passed through the rule of Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Germanic tribes, norms, Aragon, Spanish, Savoy Kingdom, Austria until joining the United Italy, the city of Palermo has always stood out with its remarkable architecture, culture monuments and developed trade.

If you want to visit a place where you can see combined the culture of ancient Greece, the glory of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance wonders added by dozens of civilizations, this place definitely is Sicily and its capital city, Palermo, which represents thirty centuries of history as expressed through the ancient classics, Roman greatness, Gothic and Baroque style.

One of the most remarkable monuments in Palermo are the numerous churches in a beautiful Sicilian Baroque style. The Politeama Opera and the Massimo Theatre are cultural centers not only for the city but also for the entire island. There are numerous galleries, clubs and cinemas in them, which contributes to a rich cultural life.

Nice little squares with beautiful statues, broad boulevards shaded by large trees; small, the largest botanical gardens in Italy; tidy gardens and extensive park with Mediterranean vegetation; various playgrounds, colorful cafes the sidewalks; lavish markets and lively conversations of noisy Sicilians - all this is a joy to the eye and makes the tourist feel well relaxed and enjoyed by the Mediterranean lifestyle, which includes the mandatory glass of good local wine. The prices in Palermo are pretty normal: in the restaurants of average category and even in most of the 4-star hotels, the appetizers run between 10-12 euros; main dishes - from 12 to 16 euros; good wine - 10 to 16 euros; coffee and Coca-Cola around 1 euro. In general, the standard is lower not only from the one in the continental part of Italy, but also from other European countries.

If you combine a visit in Plaermo with a trip to Malta, you can use airline Ryan Air (3 days a week Malta-Trapani), which costs only about 10-40 euros in both directions. A Trapani is about 70 km from the capital of Sicily. From the airport you can enjoy city bus service to downtown Palermo (ticket price 12 euros) as the bus departs 30-40 minutes after landing. The other accommodation options are in Trapani with previously booked taxi from the airport to hotel (35 euros), while using Rent-a-car in Palermo in the next day. Driving in Palermo is relatively difficult - local drivers are very impatient and you will often hear horns. Regarding accommodation in Palermo, you can choose a hotel in downtown or in one of the beautiful and tranquil suburbs, next to one of the largest urban parks.

You can choose to stay 2-3 nights in a hotel, which is enough to see the historical sights with excursion buses Hop of-Hop on. The guiding text can be chosen among all Western and Russian languages. The tickets costs 20 euros and is valid for 24 hours.

Check for more Palermo and Italy resources in the Europe's Travel Directory.