Taormina

HISTORY: Before the Greeks arrived in Sicily, the area around Taormina was inhabited by the Siculi, a tribe that lived in the eastern part of the island during the Iron Age. During Roman times and even after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the city was one of the most important in Sicily and enjoyed some independence.

In 962, Taormina was conquered by the Muslims, who were defeated in 1078 by the Normans of Roger I of Sicily. After the fall of the Normans, the city was ruled by the Angevins and, later, by the Aragonese. Taormina was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until 1860, after which it was included, along with the whole Sicily, in the Kingdom of Italy.

GEOGRAPHY: Today, Taormina is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants included in the Metropolitan City of Messina, in Sicily. The city is built on a hill, about 200 meters above the sea level, on a terrace of Mount Tauro, with the Mount Etna in the background. Taormina is located 49 kilometers from Messina and about the same distance from Catania, about 110 kilometers from Syracuse and about 225 kilometers from Palermo.

TRANSPORT: The closest airport is Vicenzo Bellini Airport, near Catania. Etna Trasporti provides buses from the airport to Taormina. The trip takes about one hour and a half and a ticket costs 8.20€.

You can get to Taormina by train, from Catania and Messina. A train ticket from either Catania or Messina costs 4.30€ and the trip takes between half an hour and one hour. The train station is called Taormina-Giardini and is located about 2 kilometers from the city center. From there, to get to Taormina, you can take a bus or you can simply walk. If you decide to walk, keep in mind that the climb is quite difficult. On the other hand, a bus ticket is only 2€.

LANDMARKS: Taormina is one of the most important tourist destinations in Sicily, known for its landscapes, beach and for its monuments. In Taormina, worth mentioning are the Teatro Greco, an impressive open-air theatre, the clock tower Torre dell'Orologio, the public gardens and, near the beach, the beautiful small island of Isola Bella.

MORE INFO: Official Website | Catania Airport | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Taormina