Top 10 Palermo Sightseeing

In my opinion this are the top 10 sightseeing that you should consider if you go to Palermo

1) La Cattedrale

Located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele the cathedral is a great  building with a mixture of different architectural styles

(Gothic, Norman, Baroque).  I

used to live 5 minutes away from this beautiful building which i walked

passed almost every day and never got tired of looking at it.

Free admission. Mon-Sat 7-7; Sun 8-1:30, 4-7.

2) The 4 Canti and Piazza Pretoria

The 4 Canti each one of them adorned with fountains are considered the heart of Palermo, located at the intersection of Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Built in 1611 when Palermo was divided in four sections respectively Capo, Kalsa, Castellammare and Albergheria. A few meters away from the 4 Canti you will come across Piazza Pretoria (fountain of shame). It has been recently restored, this beautiful monument is a mixture of mythological monsters and nude statues.

3) La Martorana and San Cataldo churches

This beautiful churches are located in Piazza Bellini next to each other. The Martorana  interiors are decorated with some of the best mosaics I have ever seen. A must see.Free admission Mon-Sat 8-1, 3:30-7.

The San Cataldo the one with the three domes as you can see from the picture where you can admire the beautifull mosaic pavement, a sure sign of the arab craftsmen who worked for the christian in power few centuries ago.Small donation to enter. Mon-fri 9:30-1, 3:30-6,

Sat-sun 9:30-1

4) Palazzo dei Normanni

  Standing on the highest point of the old city the Palace was the seat of the Kings of Sicily. In 1947 the palace became the seat of the

    sicilian Parliament. Originally the phoenicians built a fort here, which was rebuilt by the romans and arabs. Don't miss the Palatina chapel! Mon-sat closes between 1 and 2 Sun 8:30-12:30


5) Cappella Palatina

    This lovely chapel is located inside the Palazzo dei Normanni. It was built by King Ruggero as
    his private chapel. The interiors are decorated with astonishing mosaic. I would definately reccomend
    a visit. Tickets costs around 10 euro wich include a tour of the Palazzo.

6) Teatro Massimo

    The third biggest theatre in Europe is situated right in the city centre. This neoclassic building is
     a masterpiece of Ernesto Basile who completed the work started by his father. A guided tour costs
    around 5 euro.

7) Orto Botanico

    An elegant, pleasent and relaxing italian garden with beautiful statues, fountains and a big variety of palm trees, orange trees, giant cactus etc.
Opening hours are 9am to 7pm, tickets are approximately 5 euro.

8) Monreale Cathedral

   Monreale is a little town situated 5 miles southwest of Palermo. The Cathedral of Monreale contains the world's largest mosaic surface. To the right of the cathedral is located the cloister with its 228 twin columns decorated with mosaic.
    Visit the treasury before climbing the 181 steps to the terrace with a fantastic view of Palermo.Free admission but a small price apply for the
Treasury and Terrace. Open daily 8-6.




9) Catacombe dei Cappuccini

    One of the best catacombs to see. 8.000 bodies dating from the 16th to the 20th century in various stages of preservation. Some still have hair, eye lashes. An old tradition of the cappuccini monks.

Free admission but you have to give a small donation.
Open daily, closed between noon and 3pm.

10) Mondello 
Mondello and its beautiful beach is only a 15 min drive from Palermo.I would definately reccommend a visit in the week as usually at the week-ends hundreds of Palermitans will visit. I also reccomend to buy an ice cream from Renato Bar then sit in the Piazza by the fountain and enjoy the view and your ice cream of course!

I hope this post is going to help many of you and

as always comments are welcome!

Activities in Sicily

In Sicily normal school time usually is from 8.00 to 1.00 , this leaves a big slot of time for young people that can be dedicated to extra curriculum activities, such as playing a musical instrument, swimming, dancing ect...

Sicily is also quite famous for extreme sports as its mountainous landscapes offer the ideal place for Trekking, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Horse Riding and Running , while the many sandy beaches makes it a perfect place to go scuba diving, sailing, surfing and any other water sports.

If you are a fan of windsurfing from the 15th to the 23rd of May 2010 in Mondello (Palermo's beach), will
take place the 25th edition of World Festival on the beach . This year's event will include the 2010 Sicily
Grand Prix.

For the best scooba diving experience i definately reccommend a trip to Ustica.
Ustica is a small island  55 km north of Palermo where regular ferry or speed boats
can take you to the island .
Many  divers are attracted by the deep dives of this beautiful volcanic island.

As always comments are welcome.