Halfway between present-day Palermo and Trapani is one of the oldest cities you can visit in Sicily. The first monument to visit is the Doric temple, one of the best preserved Greek temples in the Western world. The Doric temple of Segesta stands outside the city walls, on a hill west of the city. Wolfgang von Goethe, in his Journey to Italy, described the temple in these words:"The location of the temple is amazing: at the top of a wide and long valley, on top of an isolated hill and yet surrounded by cliffs, it dominates a vast prospect of lands."

The Ancient Theatre of Segesta, built on the north side of the acropolis, stands on the highest peak of Monte Barbaro, close to the Gulf of Castellammare. The theater has a very wide panoramic view that turns into a spectacular setting if necessary. It is one of the most successful examples of theatrical architecture placed in the passage and is still used, during the summer, for performances and concerts. To reach it you have to follow some paths in the middle of the fields or a wide paved road. But if you don’t feel like tackling this long hike, especially in summer or in the evening, you can use the convenient shuttle bus service that leaves from the ticket office and leads to the entrance of the theater.

Perched on top of a mountain and overlooking the Gulf of Trapani, Erice is a small and characteristic medieval village, with narrow and paved streets, courtyards, churches and plenty of clean and fresh air, even in the height of summer. Thanks to its altitude you can enjoy a splendid 360° panoramic view. Starting right from the narrow streets behind the cathedral you can start the tour in the center of the village, among picturesque corners, souvenir shops and historic pastry shops. In Via Vittorio Emanuele, 14 is the historic pastry shop of Maria Grammatico, here you can admire and taste typical sweets of Erice. The symbol of the town is obviously the Castle of Venus, from Norman times, which stands right on the sheer fortress and offers a spectacular view. Next to the castle you can admire the Pepoli Towers and the beautiful Balio Municipal Villa. During the summer the cable car connecting Trapani with the summit of Erice is in operation!

The Salt Pans of Marsala are located in the Stagnone Reserve and are one of the most visited tourist attractions in the province of Trapani. A unique territory in front of the island of Mothia, along the famous “salt route”, gateway to the Stagnone Islands Nature Reserve. The Stagnone Nature Reserve and the island of Mozia is a place of extraordinary beauty, where alongside the exceptional natural landscapes you can appreciate the windmills typical of the Trapani coast, an original example of industrial archaeology still fully functional today. The Lagoon Salt Pans are located right inside the Reserve. The lagoon, the largest in Sicily (2000 ha) is characterized by very salty shallow waters.

The island of Mozia belongs to the Stagnone di Marsala archipelago and is one of the most popular tourist routes for visitors. Mozia is a true open-air treasure, with its numerous archaeological finds, some of which are submerged by the sea due to rising tides: its archaeological value is still considered priceless. Mozia is home to one of the most important museums in the province of Trapani. The young man of Mozia is the most prestigious and representative of the island: it is a marble statue. Mozia is an ancient Phoenician colony founded in the eighth century BC.C. on one of the four islands of the Stagnone lagoon. The name of Motya, probably given by the Phoenicians themselves, would mean spinning mill and would be connected to the presence of wool processing plants, implanted here. The island, like most other Phoenician colonies, was a trading post and was intended to serve as a docking point for Phoenician ships en route in the Mediterranean. With the Greek colonization, which begins in the eighth century, Motya increases its importance by becoming a citizen. In the 6th century, the contrasts between the Greeks and Carthaginians increased for the dominance over Sicily and Mozia was involved; it was then surrounded by walls that allowed a better defense. In 397 Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, besieges the city and ends its existence. The inhabitants take refuge on the mainland in the colony of Lilibeo, present-day Marsala. The rediscovery of Motya is linked to the name of Giuseppe Whitaker, an English nobleman of the late nineteenth century whose family had settled in Sicily and had started a flourishing export trade of Marsala wine. On the island stands the Whitaker house, now converted into a museum. TIMETABLES AND PRICES ISLAND OF MOZIA : 1 NOVEMBER - 31 MARCH every day from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm 1 APRIL - 31 OCTOBER every day 9.30 am - 6.30 pm PRICES : ADULTS € 9 STUDENTS AND CHILDREN € 5