With a Hop on Hop off tour of Palermo, you will enjoy an exciting visit to the city. Starting from the terminal outside the Politeama Theatre, overlooking the square of the same name, you will drive in front of the Massimo Theatre one of the most capacious and famous opera house in Italy, was built at the end of the 19th century by the architecs Gian Battista and Ernesto Basile. It is a building of neo-classical inspiration, continuing towards Piazza Quattro Canti and the nearby Vucciria Market.

The tour continues towards the botanical gardens, passing near Palazzo Steri. After a quick glance of the central station, you will find yourselves in the vicinity of the Royal Palace was built by the Arab emirs around the IXth century, but they abandoned it soon. It was then restored and transformed by the Normans into a sumptuous palace.Frederick II of Hohenstaufen created here the 1st Poetic School, but after his death the palace began to decline and this went on for about three centuries.

Things changed when the Spanish chose it as their residence, but they modified it according to their taste. Since 1947 the Palace is the seat of the Regional Sicilian Assembly., the Flea Market and the Cathedral, before stopping at the port and then returning to the terminal.

The western Sicilian territory is located in the very heart of the Mediterranean sea. On the feet of Mount Erice and on the seaside, stands the town of Trapani hugging the coast towards the south and from Paceco to the Stagnone lagoon ? departs the salt way. The sea represents a very special climatic conditions of a low and sandy coast and the cradle of the salt marshes is the most important cultural element of the route. The salt marshes are characteristic of the western coast for centuries, with their salt storehouses covered with terracotta tiles which are inhabited by migratory birds in autumn and spring. In old times, the salt marshes represented a real productive industry which offered work to a large number of the population. The whole of the economy was based on the production and exportation of the sea salt.

It is possible to visit the museum of ?Salt Activity?, plunged between the windmills and the lagoon and its islands, which has now become a nature reserve. In the heart of lagoon between ?Lunga? and ?Santa Maria? islands is located the Phoenician-Punic isle of Mozia with its archaeological finds and the ?Whitaker? museum. This museum is rich in archaeological pieces from the 5th and 6th Century BC, among which the "the young man in tunic" is featured, a statue discovered in 1979 and which since has commanded attention of the world. Mozia and its unique museum provide a rare unspoiled glimpse into Sicily's Phoenician past. On this route, you can also sample typical wine of Marsala from this region, or travel the town's historic centers or take a trip boat around the isles of the archipelago.