Sultry, edgy, noisy and chaotic, Palermo feels like an eastern bazaar transplanted to the edge of Europe. Fought over by Phoenicians, Arabs, Normans, Swabians and Spaniards, the city reflects the influence of all in its architecture, its people and its food, which, fruit-packed and spicy, is positively life-enhancing. And, if the sheer energy of the city centre proves exhausting, the splendid, expansive Mondello beach and the Tyrrhenian Sea are just a bus ride away.
[Palermo guide]