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Guide to Palermo, Italy
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Palermo
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PalermoPalermo, a Sicilian city in the Gulf of the Tyrrhenian Sea, is unlike many Italian destinations - mostly due to the fact that the majority of its residents rebuke the notion that they are Italians and instead urge those unknowledgeable to the situation that they are Sicilian, and only Sicilian. This insistence goes back centuries, and after time you'll find that the 'unspoken' segregation is of no hindrance to Palermo's overall charm and attraction. There is just as much to do in Palermo as in Florence or Venice, but the values and traditions its people share are far different than those of northern Italy. It is undeniably hot in Sicily during the summer, but luckily Palermo has the Sea as its friend and as a result the city has become a year-round destination. It's never so crowded as to cause discomfort, but the streets are neither barren at any point in time. The city's visitorship is always divided in a love/hate relationship with their experiences here: some find the architecture fantastic, while others highlight the grotesque additions to the cityscape as their reason to never come again. The only way one can find what side of the coin one is on is to pay a visit. Shall we carry this discourse further? Book your flight to Palermo today!
When to go:
It is well known to many in Europe that Sicily is a rather steamy place. Whether that is a reference to its romantic nuances is debatable, but the sun ceaselessly shines, and in the summertime the solace of the roof is a very familiar and sought-after relief. Spring and autumn both allow outdoor adventures free of annoyances (other than the occasional rainstorm), and winters are cool but Palermo's climate conditions are far from those experienced by central and northern Europe; you're guaranteed to be without snowflakes of any sort (unless you happen to bag a few in Switzerland before arriving).
Getting there and around:
The airport serving Palermo as well as a number of other towns in the area is often referred to as Punta Airport (though it's title has recently been changed), simply because technicalities are of no concern to the general public here (that is unless the debate of Sicily vs. Italy is brought forth once more). Nevertheless, direct international flights are uncommon, and a connection between the originating city and Rome (or any other major Italian city) will have to be made. Most domestic flights take less than 2 hours. Airport buses are available to take you to the city's main transit depot, where you'll gain access to cheaper taxis, a great alternative to being swindled out of dozens of euros at Punta. You do have the option of renting a vehicle at the airport, though traffic inside the city can be maddening; you're better off keeping with public transit or walking.
Attractions:
There are seemingly more museums, palaces and monuments in Palermo than one can view in one stay, but we think you should begin your journey through the city's prowess at the sibling churches of Martorana and San Cataldo. Both stand side by side and boast mosaics that their exteriors downplay significantly if taken at a passing glance. Baroque is a common theme among both, with La Martorana holding the reins as the older of the two. Palermo's Museo Archeologico Regionale is irrevocably one of the best museums in Italy. If you had time for only one site in Palermo, this would clearly be at the top of the heap. The Museum's collection is so grand that it has to be kept inside a series of buildings, which, when spoken about, sounds somewhat disorienting, but in fact offers quite an extraordinarily unique experience.
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