Taormina is a city which was founded in the 4th century. Now it can be called “Sicily in miniature”. You may find there ruins of the ancient amphitheatre, magnificent coastal panoramas and luxurious hotels. Many of them are known as historical monuments. It is the most picturesque and respectable resort not only in Messina but on Sicily as well. Holidays in Taormina are considered to be the best.
This place is a fashionable resort of Taormina. And it is true. The staff of the hotels has got accustomed to the celebrities. In the 19th century a great German poet Goethe travelled round Sicily and he liked Taormina most of all. Since that time lots of famous artists, musicians, actors and actresses have spent holidays there. The cinema festival held in Taormina every year is famous for its stars (Tom Cruise, Hugh Grant) more than for its repertoire.
Tauro Mountain, after which the city was named, is considered to be the main place of interest of the resort. The ruins of the amphitheatre, where the world stars of opera sing every year, are considered to be the “symbol of the resort” as well. The heart of Taormina is the Square of the 9th of April.
There are two medieval churches there, one is the Church of St. Augustus and the other is the Church of St. Giuseppe. The town gate there is called Porta di Mezzo and was built in Taormina in the Middle Ages. There are many visitors in the cafes in the open air in the square of Taormina. The view of the coast is considered to be the best in the town.
The main beach of Taormina is the coastal part near the place of Nacsos about two km from the town. It is often called Jardini Nacsos. A lot of modern hotels are situated there. Those hotels, which are situated in the town, are mostly the buildings of 18-19th centuries. By the way, the conveniences of some of them are really ascetic, but that can’t be said about prices. That is because many Italians think about the hotels as the places to spend nights, but not as comfortable dwellings.
Certainly, not all the hosts of the hotels are of the same opinion. An example of typical for Taormina luxury is Grande Albergo Capo Taormina 4* Hotel. It is situated just on the cliff over the sea. The cliff is a part of the architectural composition of the hotel. There are lifts in the cliff which bring the inhabitants of the hotel to the beach, which belongs to the hotel as well. The design of the hotel is very original. It is a sort of “the castle of the elves”, in which the natural and artificial parks match each other perfectly.
The best way to get to Taormina is to go by express bus from the airport of Catania. You can also get to Giardini Naxos by train. There is a railway station there. But getting by bus is more convenient and quicker.
