Sicily is an ideal travel destination to marvel at and discover historic sites. Nature is splendid and the cultural heritage is varied, and the choice of means of transport to admire this heritage can add to an unforgettable trip.
If you’re heading to Sicily, you won’t want to miss Palermo. The cathedral is superb, with its variety of styles. In the evening, you can admire the fountain in piazza Marina and its lights. In piazza Ballaro, you can sample delicious tripe sandwiches.
Sicily’s ancient past can be admired at a number of sites, such as Segesta and Selinunte. Selinunte is home to the Palace of Hera, three times the size of the Parthenon.
Activities and museums in Sicily
Sicily is a great place to go hiking, with a wide range of routes to explore the lava tunnels of Mount Etna. The island’s superb beaches make it an ideal place for swimming, with the seaside resorts of Mondello and Fontane Bianche just two examples.
Taormina’s superb setting means you can visit a Roman theatre overlooking the sea, where you can also visit the cathedral and see the Arab castle. A must-see is the 6,000 m² of mosaics to be admired at Monreale Cathedral. To the east of Palermo, the most famous villa is La Palagonia, built by the nobility and well worth a visit. To admire Christian art, visit the churches and palace of Parlerme.
Sicily’s historic train
You can take a trip back in time on Sicily’s historic train with the Fondazione FS and FS Treni Turistici Italiani, with the support of the Regional Department of Tourism, Sport and Leisure. The aim is to de-seasonalise tourist flows and promote a better understanding of Sicily thanks to itineraries that pass through picturesque villages, archaeological parks and art centres.
The ‘terrazzini’ cars of the 1930s have been brought back to Sicily to take visitors on a journey back in time. A vast cultural and landscape heritage can be visited on this tour. By linking Agrigento and its Valley of the Temples, the tour celebrates the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of the Palermo-Porto Empedocle railway. The final stretch coincides with the Templi Railway, a tourist line included in the ‘Binari senza tempo’ (Timeless Trails) project.
The collaboration with the Circumetnea railway will also allow visitors to explore the Sicilian hinterland and reach places such as Bronte, famous for its pistachios. Since 2018, the historic trains have welcomed more than 20,000 tourists, demonstrating the growing interest in these cultural and tourist initiatives that combine the charm of train travel with the discovery of hidden treasures and unique landscapes.
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