Palermo is a forgotten gem. After years of mafia rule and poverty, the city has reclaimed its place among Europe’s cultural cities. Palermo is full of sights and treasures, from baroque churches to modern Sicilian restaurants.

Population:700 thousand

Tourist Information:
Address: Piazza Castel Nouvo 35
Tel: +39 091 605 8111

La Terrazza
This little bar and outdoor patio is in the garden of the Grand Hotel Villa Igeia. It has romantic, almost overly romantic, views of Palermo.

Kursal Kalhesa
This unique bar is also a bookstore, internet café, and fish restaurant (with a great fish ravioli). Situated in an old palazzo ruin by the port, this is where Palermo’s youth come to see and be seen.

Bar Costa
A cornucopia for those who like the selection of snacks, coffees and liqueurs that Italian bars do so well.

Mikalsa
Fairly new and hip place that calls itself Il primo Bar à Bière della Sicilia, which is a more or less correct description – Sicily’s best beer bar. It is possibly also the only one.

Gorky Club
Popular nightclub that occasionally has live shows. Good DJ’s and high atmosphere!

Opening Hours:
Shops in Palermo are usually open 9.00-13.00 and 15.00-20.00. Large department stores are usually open all day.

The large traditional Italian fashion brands, from Armani to Versace, can be found around Viale della Libertà. There are a number of stores selling handicraft products that make for unique memories of the island. Piccolopunto, on Via Villareale 52, is good for embroidered Sicilian bed linen and curtains. Antique embroideries can be found at Al Cancellato, Via Paolo Paternostro 82. Palermo has plenty of shops selling very kitsch ceramics. For more elegant wares, head to the northern end of Via Maqueda. Le Cittecotte di Vizzari, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 120, sell exquisite hand painted models of Palermo’s palazzo’s and churches. For those looking for bargains and unique shopping, this can be explored at one of the many street markets. The largest of them all is La Vucciria. It specialises in food, though some of the stores and stands carry interesting or eclectic items that will look good in your home. Beware of the pickpockets at La Vuicciria.

The Catacombs
The Catacombs of the Cappuccini Monastery have fascinated visitors for centuries – and it is easy to understand why. 8 000 mummified former residents of Palermo line the walls. If you like horror and the macabre, this is your destination.

Santa Caterina church
A masterpiece. The style the church is built in is known as Sicilian baroque, and the walls are covered with ornaments – paintings, statues of saints and the Madonna, fruits and wild animals. Is it kitsch? Make up your own mind.

Museo Archeologico Regionale
The museum has art and handicraft spanning most of Palermo’s history. The most exciting exhibits are the statues from the lost city of Selinunte.

Teatro Massimo
One of the largest theatres in Europe (7730 mq), a neoclassical masterpiece started by Giovanni Battista Basile in 1875 and completed by his son Ernesto in 1897. Recently restored, it is now the lyrical temple of the city, staging the opera and ballet official season.

Palazzo dei Normanni
Built in 1130, year of King Roger II’s crowning, inside the Norman Palace, it is definitely one of the most famous sights in Palermo. Covered in dazzling Byzantine mosaics (akin to those in the church of the Martorana and in the Monreale Cathedral), it is a symbol of the political and cultural union operated by the Normans.

Monreale
This little town with a population of 30 000 lies in the mountains southwest of Palermo. Its postcard perfect views are only rivalled by the Norman Catedrale di Monreale, Italy’s largest medieval building. It holds 6 000 square metre´s of Byzantine art.

Osteria dei Vespri
Many would argue that this is Palermo’s best restaurant. Located in the Centro Storico area, it has a Modern Sicilian menu. Try the 6 variazioni di crudo dal mare antipasti – six variations of raw fish and seafood, and the home made pasta dish casareccia with tuna fish ragout.

Gusto Divino
Ignore the fact that the exposed brick and vaults is reminiscent of the 1980’s. Gusto Divino is a superb restaurant with a range of refined Sicilian dishes, like the linguine con bottarga di tonno (a pasta with tuna roe and shredded lemon peels). Divino is also considered to have Palermo’s best torta sette veli, a traditional chocolate cake made with seven kinds of chocolate.

Casa del Brodo
This classic restaurant opened its doors in 1890 and is one of the city’s oldest restaurants. The interior is worn and has some less attractive modern details. This doesn’t stop it from being full on most evenings. The menu offers Sicilian specialties such as pasta alle sarde (fresh sardines with raisins and pine nuts).

Al Genio
A popular and appreciated trattoria. Try the seafood and fish risotto, or the spada involtini (stuffed swordfish).

Roney
These are the most elegant cafés in Palermo, attracting lawyers, politicians and bankers.

Caffe del Kassaro
A destination for the city’s young intellectuals.

La Preferita
This is as much an ice cream parlour as a café. Try the tartuffo; La Preferita’s own take on the Calabrian chocolate dessert.

Palermo International Airport is located 32 kilometres (20 miles) from Palermo. The Trinacria Express train departs for the city every hour. Tickets for the 45 minute journey can be purchased onboard for €4.50. The buses stop several times along the way, including at some hotels, and reach Palermo in 50 minutes. One-way tickets are available onboard for €5.

Health:
Palermo’s pharmacies have alternating open hours during weekends and nights. Visit www.ordfarm.pa.gestelnet.it to find out which one is open at the time.

Currency: Euro

Emergency Number: 112

Electricity: 230V AC, 50Hz

Language: Italian

Telephone: Country code: +39

Transport:
Use the AMAT network of buses and trains to get around the city. AMAT also run night buses, while Trenitalia manage the trains network. Tickets are approximately €1 and valid for two hours.

Taxi Information:

Auto Radio Taxi
Tel: +39 091 512727/091 513311