Sicily: best time to visit in spring and fall
Of course, there is a fly in the ointment: many other tourists also find this view very beautiful. In summer there are thousands of them. That's why it's best to come in spring or late fall to the small town that once made world stars like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor famous. It's a wonderful time to stroll through the alleyways and streets and enjoy an aperitif on the piazza at sunset. Chips are free.
Sicily is a panacea for the German soul. When the cold rain still weighs on our minds, the temperatures in Sicily are mild: here, people are already whistling as they pick lemons from the tree and bask in the sunshine. The markets are already full of crunchy spring vegetables and the fish is so fresh it's actually still swimming. Don't you think so? Then visit the fish market in Piazza di Benedetto in Catania early in the morning. You can then taste what's on offer in the surrounding restaurants. Afterwards, we recommend a digestive stroll through Piazza Duomo with its palaces, the town hall, the seminary and the Fontana dell'Elefante. This elephant column is the landmark of the port city.
People-watching on the cathedral square
I personally fell in love with the small town of Syracuse, around 65 kilometers to the south. The old town is almost completely surrounded by the sea and you can easily walk all the way around the city wall. And the semi-circular cathedral square is simply too magnificent and the ideal backdrop for people-watching. To get in the mood, watch the movie "The Magic of Malèna" with Monica Bellucci. Many scenes are set right here, some show the small towns of Noto and Ragusa. They are just around the corner.
Noto, which is also a World Heritage Site, is considered the most beautiful of all Sicily's baroque towns. The streets are laid out parallel to each other like a staircase: Via Ducezio is the lowest and runs through the neighborhoods of the common people, while Via Cavour is further up and is where the artisans lived. And the central Corso Vittorio Emanuele III is the boulevard with the most expensive palaces. A walk up and down the stairs to compare is a lot of fun.
And if you're wondering why there are such strange flower pots in the windows of the ceramic stores - namely a princess and a black man - here's the story: In the time of the Caliphate (10th to 12th century), a beautiful young woman with a wonderful garden lived in Syracuse. A man with dark skin fell madly in love with her, although he already had a wife and children. No matter - they both indulged in lust in her garden. But out of fear of being abandoned, she cut off his head while he slept and set it up as a vase of flowers (here it is politically incorrect to call it "Testa di Moro") so that it would always stay with her.
Goethe has also been to Sicily
A more beautiful piece of history and a real Sicilian highlight awaits me in the legendary Valle dei Templi near Agrigento - namely an extensive temple landscape from the Greek period (5th century BC). You can stroll from building to building on an enchanting walkway - with a fantastic view of the sea - and lose track of time. Incidentally, Goethe was also here.
As a farewell, I enjoy strolling through Palermo for another two days - once the most beautiful city in the world, now disfigured by mafia building projects. But it is Sicily in a nutshell. My tip: sit on the roof terrace of the "La Rinascente" department store, enjoy Palermo from above and plan your next trip here. Because Sicily is worth a trip!