Overview to Palermo: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
Sitting in the shadow of Mount Pellegrino, Palermo – Sicily’s capital – is an undeniably attractive city. A strange mix of the hectic and the frivolous, the ancient and the solemn, it’s got plenty to keep the travelers in Italy busy for several days.
The numerous grand squares and beautiful churches of Palermo’s Old Town are dotted here and then throughout its tightly-packed complex of streets. The city fans out into four separate districts marked by its famous crossroads, the Quattro Canti.
Of these, the Albergheria, a warren of streets that wind their way among market stalls, is the oldest. Home to the staggering Royal Palace and a fantastic food market (full of cheap eating options) in the Piazza del Carmine, it’s also one of the most interesting parts of town.
The Vucciria, which runs down to the port area of La Cala, features an excellent archaeological museum and the largest of the city’s markets. Way out to the west, on the other hand, there’s a more grizzly attraction in the Catacombe dei Cappuccini – a collection of mummified corpses.
The Capo district extends from the city’s other unmissable monument; the stunning Cathedral, parts of which date back to the 12th century. Here, too, there’s yet another bustling market (this time for clothing) on and around the Via Sant’ Agostino.
To the southeast of the city, the area of La Kalsa is home to some of Palermo’s most attractive buildings, as well as the bulk of the city’s nightlife. The streets running off the two Piazzas, Maggione and Garibaldi, hum with activity after dark.
Although packed with fine architecture and culture, Palermo couldn’t be less stuffy and pretentious. Like so many cities across Italy, it gets the balance of day-to-day life (mafia activity excepted) just right. And that’s what makes it such a thoroughly charming place.
