Trapani, a city that has always been famous for its position, rises in a flat area of ​​Sicily that extends over the sea acquiring its famous sickle shape. The heart of the city has always been the port, where both the Helmets and the Phoenicians, the first inhabitants of the town, became an important maritime and commercial port. In the course of history the city had numerous dominations and each of these left traces in the architecture and structuring of the city itself. From here passed the Carthaginians, in 241 BC became a Roman province until the fifth century. BC Then it was up to the Arabs to dominate the city and strongly influenced the economy, art and culture of the country. Under the government of the Angioinians, the inhabitants of Trapani underwent a major crisis that they overcame under the Aragonese domination. With the Spaniards that lasted until 1713 the trade of tuna, salt and the processing of precious stones, especially the coral, developed. Immense artistic heritage of the various peoples who occupied trapani, a city that can be visited easily on foot offers its tourists many monuments, churches and palaces of exquisitely Baroque architecture where the Arabic imprint is evident. The main monument of the city is certainly the Complesso dell'Annunziata. Nearby is a former convent today the most important museum of the city "Museo Pepoli". In the seventeenth century the cathedral of S. Lorenzo was built.

View from Mount Erice - Araceli Pulido (Source: Araceli Pulido - CC BY-ND 2.0)

How to reach Trapani

By plane

The capital is located about 8 km from the airport "V. Florio" of Trapani Birgi and about 70 km from the airport Falcone and Borsellino (in the province of Palermo). From both airports you can take a transfer to reach the town of Trapani.

For information on transfer prices, see our page Trapani Airport Transfers - Prices.

By car

It is possible to reach Trapani by taking the A29 Palermo-Trapani motorway, alternatively you can take the SS113 and the SS 187 that connects Trapani with Palermo and the internal territories of the province.

By ship or by ferry

Trapani is also equipped with an important port. Reaching Trapani by ferry is a recommended choice, especially during the summer. From Italy it is possible to reach the port of Trapani from Naples and Cagliari using Liberty Lines ships.

On the train

From central Palermo it is possible to take a train to Trapani (Palermo-Trapani line). For info and tickets visit Trenitalia .

Do not miss in Trapani

Those who visit Trapani can not miss the Tower of Ligny, today symbol of the city of Trapani, built in 1671 to defend the city from pirates. The tower stands on a rock and is made of tuff from the quarries of the island of Favignana. From here the view is enchanting. Today the Ligny tower, a civic museum, which housed an old museum of prehistory and the sea, organizes temporary exhibitions at certain times of the year. Moreover, one can not but count among the things to see in Trapani its enchanting salt pans.