Syracuse on a weekend
A weekend in ancient Greece
There are a lot of benefits to staying in Syracuse for several days. On the one hand you have the opportunity to enjoy your stay stress-free and on the other hand you have more time to visit the many attractions of the city. Apart from that, you get the chance to explore the night life of Syracuse - the white limestone buildings guarantee a picturesque and romantic experience at night. With historic buildings, art and idyllic places, Syracuse is full of wonder and opportunities.
Day 1 - Morning:
- Day 1 starts in the Archaeological Park. You can buy a ticket at the souvenir stands and walk down the road into the ancient town of Syracuse.
- Directly on the left after the entrance you will reach the Roman amphitheatre, which was used mainly for gladiator fights in the late Roman period.
- A few metres further on the left hand side you can see the remains of the Altar of Hieron II. Despite the few remains you can get a good idea of how the massive structure must have looked.
- Continue through the entrance to the Greek Theatre. With 15,000 seats, it was once the largest theatre in the world and is still impressive today.
- A little east of the Greek theatre you will reach the latomie - the quarries. The Latomia del Paradiso quarry is particularly famous and is called "Ear of Dionysius" on account of the acoustics.
- A long walk along quarries and burial grounds finally leads to the grave of Archimedes. At noon, a bar in the souvenir village offers snacks.
Day 1 - Afternoon:
- Approximately 200 metres east of the archaeological park you will see the futuristic Santuario della Madonnina delle Lacrime. Because of its height, the church is an absolute eye-catcher in Syracuse and worth a short detour.
- Directly at the northern exit of the church complex you will now reach the archaeological museum with many valuable finds from Syracuse and the surrounding provinces. The most beautiful and most important museum in Sicily is most certainly worth a visit.
- Finally it’s worth taking the 100 metre walk to the northern basilica and catacombs of San Giovanni. The guided tour lasts approximately one hour and is a fitting end to the Greek and Roman history of the city.
In the evening you should take a walk through the old town on the Ortigia island, where you can dine in one of the many restaurants and enjoy the old town atmosphere.
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