The best view of Palermo is from the sky. On your flight to Palermo, take in the views of the sparkling sea and the glittering lights of the city center. On a perfect night, the full moon illuminates the city casting a quixotic shadow over Sicily’s largest city. The flight to Palermo is just the beginning of what will become an illustrious Italian excursion.
Palermo’s history is a mix of cultures – Roman, Arab, Italian and Asian influences had a hand in the city’s foundation. As today’s first-time travelers are introduced to Palermo’s romantic reputation, previous generations of Sicilians remember Palermo’s most famous Mafia reputation. Once a crime scene for the Cosa Nostra (one of Italy’s most famous families), today Palermo has blossomed into a beautiful city largely undiscovered by tourists. Sicily’s richest city has unique character that keeps it’s devote travelers booking return flights to Palermo every year.
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Palermo has a mild Mediterranean climate. July and August are hot with temperatures in the upper 80s (F) and humid. Winters are mild and it rarely drops below freezing. January and December are the coldest months with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. November through January have the most rainfall.
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Peak Season:
As with the rest of Italy, Palermo’s main tourist season is April to mid-October. The largest festival, Festino di Santa Rosalia, honors the city’s patron saint and is celebrated July 9 to 15 with shows, concerts, a religious procession, and fireworks. Palermo flights and accommodations for the festival period must be booked well in advance.
The city is also very busy with tourists at Easter and school children March through May.
Off Season:
Fall to early spring is considered the low season with cooler temperatures, more rain, fewer crowds, and unhurried enjoyment of the sights. Cheap flights to Palermo and discounted hotel room rates can usually be found during this time.
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There are regular trains linking the airport to the city center. The journey takes about 45 minutes and trains run every 30 minutes peak times, every hour at other times. Coaches also serve the city center (tel: (091) 580 457): they operate from 6.45am until midnight daily and run every 30 minutes. Coaches leave from just outside the arrivals terminal. Taxis are also available.
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The medieval core of Palermo is perfect for walking, and the sights and attractions are within walking distance of each other. To explore other parts of Palermo, you will need to take a bus or taxi.
The city buses cover nearly every corner of the city and go as far out as Monreale and Mondello. Tickets can be purchased at tobacco shops before boarding. There is a flat fare for any trips made within a set time period and all-day tickets are available. The Giro Citta tourist bus stops at many of the major sights and attractions. The rides start and end at Teatro Politeama, and tickets are purchased on board.
As convenient as the buses are, it can be a slow trip from one point to another. Taxis can move more quickly through the city and you can rent a taxi for a day. Taxis can be called or picked up at a stand.
Driving in Palermo is not recommended. The traffic is atrocious with road lanes and traffic signals only casually acknowledged. Parking is another problem; spaces are very hard to find in the center of the city but there are a few garages.
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- The Teatro Massimo is one of Europe's largest theaters. Dating from the 19th century, it was restored recently and stages opera and ballet.
- The Antonio Pasqualino International Marionette Museum contains about 3500 puppets, marionettes and hand puppets from around the world, including Punch and Judy. There is an annual Festival di Morgana, children's workshops and regular performances of the Opera dei Pupi.
- Quattro Canti, the square, is the center of the old city, between Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda. There are four 17th-century palaces on the square with facades illustrating different themes such as Spanish kings and the four seasons.
- Kalsa is Palermo’s Arabic quarter. The Porta dei Greci is also known as Porta d’Africa. It is possible to spot the sea from the gateway.
- The Palermo Cathedral, Saint Mary of the Assumption, is built on the site of a pagan temple and, later, mosque, and was worked upon until relatively recently so it has a mix of architectural styles. The chapel is known for its royal tombs and the Cathedral Treasury houses the 12th-century Crown of Constance, which has Byzantine, Arabic and Western elements.
- Visit Monreale about 5 miles south of Palermo's center. Monreale overlooks the "Conca d'Oro," the beautiful valley beyond Palermo. The mosaics in Monreale Cathedral are said to be one of the world's largest displays of this art.
- The catacombs under the Capuchins Monastery are in the Piazza Cappuccini. In 1599, the monks discovered that the catacombs had a preservative that helped mummify the dead, a discovery that made the grottos very popular with the locals. The oldest corpses date from the late 16th century and the last corpse is two-year-old Rosalia Lombaro, who died in 1920. Visitors can wander through the catacombs' corridors among the mummified bodies.
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