2024 - March - Taormina

Goethe was here, but so were Richard Strauss, Oscar Wilde and Thomas Mann. Rich nobles such as Kaiser Wilhelm II and Empress Elisabeth even had their winter quarters in Taormina. And later film stars such as Greta Garbo, Cary Grant and Marlene Dietrich came here to visit.

If so many celebrities felt at home here, it must be a particularly beautiful place. And Taormina does indeed have this pleasant mixture of antiquity, Mediterranean flair and a touch of romance.

The climate is mild and Taormina offers beach and city in one. However, the old town is about 200 m above sea level, so you can't just walk down. The quickest way to overcome this difference in altitude is by cable car. At the time of our visit, however, this was still out of service and will not be switched on again until April 1st. As an alternative, we therefore took the bus and visited the pebble beach with Isola Bella.

The Ancient Theatre, also known as the Teatro Greco, is definitely worth seeing in Taormina. You can probably tell from the name that it was built by the Greeks. Later expanded by the Romans, gladiators even fought here. After the fall of the Roman Empire, however, the theatre also fell into disrepair and was not restored until the 19th century.

You can visit the ancient theater for 12 euros and then enjoy a great view that includes Mount Etna in the distance. On the Belvedere hill in the grounds, you also have a view to the other side, towards the sea.

You can also enjoy a great view from Piazza IX Aprile. It is located on the promenade Corso Umberto, where you will find many souvenir shops, but also exclusive shops such as Christian Dior. There are also plenty of restaurants in the old town.

So Taormina is very much geared towards paying guests. Personally, I hope that the place will not experience tourist overkill at some point. We were here in the off-season and found it busy, but still pleasant.

But I have one last tip for my readers: try ice cream for breakfast. Excuse me? Yes, actually. Sicily is famous for its granita. It is a type of water ice or snow with syrup.

Brought by the Arabs in a pre-form, granita has been perfected here. Every bar in Sicily will serve it, especially in summer. Granita is actually eaten for breakfast with brioche. Any other time of day is also acceptable, but granita is never (!) enjoyed at the end of a meal.

We tried the best granita in all of Sicily at the Bam Bar in Taormina and loved it so much that we came back every day. There are different flavors and the waiters are experienced and very friendly.

The fact that the granita from the Bam Bar is something very special has actually spread internationally. The service staff not only speak Italian and English, but also German, French, Polish and Swedish (though probably only when it comes to ordering). They are also very happy to show cell phone photos of themselves and various stars who have already been there. So, conversely, you might also meet a few celebrities there!

By the way, in response to my photos, I have received several tips from you about another Sicilian speciality. In Taormina, in addition to the best granita, the best cannoli are also said to be made. Cannoli are baked dough rolls that can be filled to your liking. A very good place for this is Laboratorio Pasticceria Roberto. However, you cannot sit down here, you can only take the pastries with you.

So here's my final tip for relaxation: Take a walk (with your cannoli package) to the Public Garden/Villa Comununale. This beautiful park with a wonderful view was once created by a rich English woman. Birds in particular are said to feel particularly at home here. But everyone is sure to find their own spot on the many benches and between the shady trees.

In conclusion to my stay here, I can really recommend Taormina as a travel destination. In fact, I didn't really realize how nice it is beforehand. I was primarily looking for a place that was close to Mount Etna and that you could get to by train.

You can probably imagine that I actually went to the volcano. You can read what it was like there and what I can recommend in the next post.

PS: By chance we also attended a Good Friday procession during our stay in Taormina.

I have uploaded the photos to this report.