Coming in from Malta, my first stop in Sicily was Palermo. I had seen some Norman architecture in Bari (T) and was wondering how Palermo would be different.

I started my day by taking a train to Cefalu. Frankly, I wasn't as smitten by the town or cathedral as previous reviewers. I have seen prettier towns in Italy. And the church and artwork, while great, are not unique for the period.

On my return from Cefalu, I got a short view from the bus window of the Admiral's Bridge. It's surrounded by large roads and loads of traffic passes by. I returned later that day to explore the bridge a bit more. Interesting, but not too stunning and more of a side note to the inscription. At this point I started wondering why the site had received so much admiration by the community.

My next stop was at San Cataldo and Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio. It was here that I grasped the uniqueness of the site. The Arabic influences with the red turrets and other architectural elements are clearly visible on San Cataldo. Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio meanwhile offers stunning Byzantine mosaics. To me, these two combined are the most representative sites for the inscription. They are listed as two separate locations, but for all intents and purposes, they are one location. Apart from ticket fees which you have to pay twice.

I then continued along the main tourist road to the Palermo Cathedral. From the outside, the cathedral is an interesting building with strong Arabic influences. From the inside, it's a rather dull run of the mill baroque church. You are better served solely circling the building than entering, taking in the marvelous stone works.

Then came the highlight of my visit: the Palazzo dei Normanni. The freshly renovated Cappella Palatina is stunning. As is the Stanza di Ruggero with the animal mosaics. However, the Palazzo has been in use over the centuries and undergone significant changes. That's why to me San Cataldo and Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio are the more representative locations

On my way back to the train station I did a short stop at Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (picture). The gardens are nice, a little oasis in the city. But the church is in ruins; I think you can safely skip the paying the entry fee here.

In sum, this is a great addition to the list, standing out even in WHS laden country as Italy.

Getting There

Palermo has an international airport connected to all parts of Europe. Be mindful, though, that the airport is quite far outside of town. Palermo also has a large railway station with connections to Messina and Agrigento. Near the railway station, you further find a large bus terminal. But with plenty of different stands and tour operators, I found it a bit hard to navigate.

To get to Cefalu I took an early train from Palermo. I returned by bus. Bus tickets can be bought at the Cefalu railway station.

While You Are There

Agrigento can be done as a day trip by train/bus. On the railway line to Messina, you find Milazzo, the principal harbor for the Eolian Islands.
I think you could also manage Malta as a day trip if you organize it properly: First flight in, last flight out. Obviously, you would need a reservation for the Hypogeum first.