Palazzo Vetrano

Palazzo Vetrano dates back to the 17th century and belonged to the family of Barons Vetrano di San Nicolò.

In the immediate vicinity is Palazzo Tarallo (now the seat of the Ethnographic Museum G. Pitrè), formerly the seat of the noble Catalan family Rossel.

But you don't have to be blue-blooded to reside in our vacation rental.

Certainly, this beautiful appartamento is everything but ordinary. Just a stone's throw from the famous Mercato di Ballarò, this great vacation home has been furnished with great attention to detail. But why settle for anything less? 

Inside, this imposing palazzo was completely gutted and modernized. Thus, new, modern, bright apartments were created. The exclusive vacation apartment Palazzo Vertrano offers two spacious bedrooms on just under 100 square meters. Each with a large double bed, a fully functional eat-in kitchen, shower room, as well as private terrace in atrium style. - Quiet and yet central, in the vibrant old town of Palermo.

This is what this accommodation offers you

• 360° tour
• Non smoking apartment
• Airport shuttle
• WLAN included
• Mobile digital city map

Palermo Style - The Sicilian Terrace

Who else wants to fly to Ibiza to find a Mediterranean mix of bohemian and hippie? Modern lounge feeling, as well as relaxed natural tones can also be found in hip Palermo. So how about a small, sheltered oasis in the middle of Palermo's old town?

• Sun lounger
• Awning
• Lounge chair
• Hammocks
• Dining tables | Chairs
• Outdoor kitchen: Grill and portable induction hob

Fully equipped eat-in kitchen with all appliances

Feel like cooking? - For sure, a market like Ballarò not only tempts you to try your hand at cooking, but also to go a little overboard with your shopping.

The motto here is: be able to cook, not have to. On the one hand, this fully equipped kitchen offers everything for cooking, baking and frying. A grill is also part of the equipment.

On the other hand, there are several culinary specialties on the doorstep.

• Bosch induction stove and oven
• Bosch washing machine
• Bosch dishwasher
• Toaster
• Upscale basic equipment for cooking
• Pots and pans, oil, salt, pepper, other spices
• Crockery and cutlery
• Bowls, chopsticks, plates, cups, etc.
• Flute kettle and electric kettle
• Espresso machine (capsule machine), alternatively small & large Bialetti plus hand mill
• Milk frother manual
• Coffee
• Tea box
• Wine glasses
• Mixers & Baking Pans
• Shopping bag
• Dining table

Bedroom and laundry

"As you make your bed, so you sleep" - We therefore wish you a restful sleep, with all comforts.

• Double beds with 2.20 or 2.00 meters mattress length
• Towels, bed linen, soap and toilet paper
• Darkening
• Coat hanger
• Iron and ironing board
• Washing machine in the kitchen
• Clothes drying rack
• Clothing storage: closet / locker
• Yoga mats  

Entertainment

• Smart TV | Simply stream via wifi using your account
• TV APPs among others: prime video - NETFLIX - YouTube - appleTV - Disney - Zattoo 
• Image transmission via Screen mirroring to the TV possible

• Radio station via TV   
• Books and reading material
• Parlor games
• Bluetooth speaker in the bathroom

Bathroom

• Shower, bidet
• Hair dryer
• Cleaning products
• Shampoo, shower gel, conditioner
• Illuminated makeup mirror
• Hot water

Heating and air conditioning

With us, no one should sweat, nor freeze.

• Energy efficient split air conditioner (heating, cooling, dehumidification)
• Bosch condensing boiler as secondary heat source and fall-back system
  
• Solar power generation and storage

Safe home

You have a heightened need for security? - So what? Then you've come to the right place:

• Camera surveillance in front of the house, as well as in the hallway
• Safe
• Smoke detector
• Co- / carbon monoxide detector
• First aid kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Fire blanket
• Emergency plan and local phone numbers

Home office in the south

Would you like a workation? With us, nothing stands in the way of a mix of work and vacation. - The perfect solution for a motivating and healthy work-life balance, not only during the dark season. More than classic remote work from home. This workation offers the ideal opportunity to really switch off during your work breaks. The creative and booming Palermo is the perfect place to gather new ideas. Who doesn't wish for a "change of scenery" to gather energy for body and mind? Then why not under the sun of Sicily? - Already the ancient Greeks, Romans, French and Spaniards knew how to appreciate this.

If you would like to combine your Palermo City Trip with an Italian language course, we recommend you have a look at the following pages solemar academy.
The leading Italian language school in Sicily since 1986.

How does that sound?

• Internet and WLAN included
• Workplace indoors or outdoors
• Socket chargers USB A and USB C in all rooms
• Universal sockets in all rooms. Thus, alternatively fit the common EU types C and F, as well as the Italian L-variant.

Other

It may be a little more?

• Assistance animals are always allowed
• Long term stays are possible
• Guests can stay 28 days or longer
• free public parking 80 meters away

Long people and tall people

Size has its advantages. But sometimes, as a tall person, you simply bump into things. Especially on vacation, you don't just want to relax, you also want to stretch out properly. That's where Sicilian beds are often counterproductive.

But this does not have to be. Our comfortable double beds have been extra lengthened. The comfortable mattresses are 2.20 long or 2 meters without footboard. The kitchen countertops are also slightly higher than normal. You don't have to be oversized to enjoy these extras as an advantage.

Climate

Due to the Mediterranean climate, life mostly shifts outside. The day is dominated by the sun. Inside, high wooden ceilings provide a pleasant indoor climate. The bright, sun-flooded rooms of this vacation apartment create a feel-good atmosphere.

However, if it does get muggy in the summer, shading and air conditioning provide welcome cooling. In winter, however, Sicily and Palermo are the perfect place to escape the dull, gray weather of home, with an average of 340 hours of sunshine per month.

"Going to Sicily is better than going to the moon".

Gabriel García Márquez

Location

This cozy vacation apartment, Italian Casa Vacanze, managed by Solemar Sicila, is located in Via delle Pergole, corner of Via Giovanni Mira. Thus, the stylish Ballaro Apartment is very centrally located between the historic Porta Sant'Agata and the Chiesa del Carmine Maggiore. The train station is within walking distance. So you are right in the middle of it, instead of just being there. During the day, it's a colorful, lively neighborhood. But in the evening, while people are still partying in other districts of the old town, peace returns to Ballarò.

Things of daily use

In the immediate vicinity of the apartment you will find a coffee shop 45m, confectioner & gelato 50m, pharmacy 70m, free public parking 80m, bakery 110m, mini-market 120m, ATM 260m, bike rental 500m, LIDL 550m, barber 800m... Our guests will find more important information, ultimate tips and interesting details in their digital guest folder and in our digital Palermo city map. So you have everything important always at hand on your cell phone.

From the front door of the apartment to the historic Ballarò market is only a few steps. To call the Ballarò the pulsating heart of the lively old town district Albergheria might not be an exaggeration.

Because the Ballarò is not just any market. For over 1,000 years, the numerous colorful stalls have been supplying Palermo's inhabitants with freshly caught fish, seafood, cheese, sausages and meat, bread, vegetables, fruit, herbs and plants. Here you can find the best swordfish, tuna, squid and lobster of all Sicily.

The noisy traders come from Palermo as well as from the surrounding area. Often you buy directly from the producer. The popular market is also an example of sustainability and seasonal trade. In its colorful exoticism, it is in no way inferior to large African or Asian markets.

But the Ballarò also stands for delicious street food. Especially at lunchtime, locals and tourists mingle and try the various delicacies. A few impressions, as well as ultimate tips can be found in our articles Ballarò and Street Food. - You can find links at the end of this post. 

Palermo Old Town - Centro Storico

Palermo's historic center, called Centro Storico, consists of not just one, but a whole four old town quarters spread around Quattro Canti. Within the impressive old town, all destinations can be reached easily and relaxed on foot. Here you are in the middle of things instead of just being there. There is much to discover. Palermo is in a state of flux like almost no other European metropolis. In addition, there is the cultural influence of so many conquerors, as probably nowhere else in the world.

You can also find a link to the matching Altstadt article, with many tips, at the end of this post.

Palermo by bus and train

The fastest and most relaxed way to get from the airport to Palermo is by train, the so-called Genio Express. Due to only one stopover, this train takes just under ½ hour for the transfer.

From the main station it is only a 500 meter walk to our apartment. So you can reach your vacation destination in less than 6 minutes.

Alternatively, our partner Solemar Sicilia offers its exclusive, yet inexpensive airport shuttle service. This brings you directly to the front door of our apartment.

Out of town?

You want to go on a discovery tour? - Coastal towns such as Bagheria, Santa Flavia, Casteldaccia or the beautiful fishing town of Cefalù, known for its Norman cathedral. The latter, with its elaborate Byzantine mosaics and imposing twin towers, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Everything can be reached quickly and easily by train from the main station.

Bus stop Tukory Porta S. Agatha

From the apartment to the nearest bus stop at Porta S. Agatha is less than 180 meters. From here depart the lines 109, 246 and 318.

Palermo also has a lot to offer outside the four old town districts. With the AMAT (Azienda Municipalizzata Auto Trasporti) buses, you can reach many interesting destinations in and outside the city.

Whether it is to the beach of Mondello, or to the world famous UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Cathedral in Monreale - our apartment is the ideal starting point.

Zona Traffico Limitato - ZTL

But above all, you can do one thing in Palermo. It's a great place to slow down and make a contribution to the environment. The historic heart of Palermo has been a traffic-calmed zone (Zona traffico limitato | ZTL) since 2016 and is therefore closed to car traffic. So you can stroll and stroll undisturbed in the old town.

If you want to enter the ZTL by car, pay attention to the signs, traffic lights and cameras. On the signs you will find the closing times. These are different in winter than in summer and vary depending on the day of the week. On Sundays there is no ZTL from 6.00 - 0.00. Then you can drive in. You can also tell by the traffic light colors red or green whether entry is allowed or not. If you should have driven once accidentally into the ZTL, you can buy afterwards a ticket in each Tabacchi and upload theoretically in the App Palermo. However, this app does not work for us with a German cell phone number.

This ZTL is valid approx. Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 20:00 | Friday from 8:00 to 00:00 | Saturday from 00:00 to 06:00 and from 23:00 to 00:00 | Sunday from 00:00 to 06:00. All information without guarantee.

"Italy without Sicily makes no image at all in the soul | Here first is the key to everything. "

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Palermo

Palermo polarizes like hardly any other European metropolis. With a population of almost 650,000, Palermo is not only Italy's fifth-largest city, but has also been the political, social, cultural and economic center of Sicily for centuries. But what makes Palermo so unique?

Fabrizio Caramagna describes it as follows:

"Palermo is an explosive mix of splendor and squalor, of palaces and narrow streets, of majesty and decadence, of bold colors and quiet monasteries.

Here, life with its contradictions explodes in your eyes, sinks into your heartbeat and flows under your skin."

But did you know that today Palermo is the safest city in Italy?

In addition, Palermo is characterized above all by its complexity. A melting pot of art and culture. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals & Byzantines, Arabs, the Hohenstaufen, Spaniards - they have all left their mark.

The Sicilians claim "We have breathed in and breathed out all foreign cultures. - Only the good we have kept". - Sicilian cuisine is certainly the best proof of how coherent this thesis is.

Environment

Where better to hear the true heart of Sicily beating than in the old town of Palermo? This is divided into four parts:

• Albergheria
• Il Capo
• La Kalsa | Tribunali
• La Loggia - Castellammare

Some great tips and hints for the Centro Storico, as the old town is called in Italian, we have compiled in a separate article. You can find it at the end of this article.

Food & Drink

Palermo's cuisine is more, much more than just pizza, pasta, pizza, pasta. The versatility of Sicilian cuisine was certainly shaped by the various conquerors.

In almost all dishes you can still find the influences of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans. But also the proximity to Africa did not remain without traces.

In addition, Sicilians are simply passionate about cooking fresh. Regional and therefore seasonal fruits and vegetables change a dish according to the season.

We cannot list all the good restaurants and bars here. You can certainly get a good overview via TripAdvisor. Therefore, we limit ourselves to a few personal tips, which are located near our apartment.

You can also find our Palermo Food article at the end of this post.

Links to supplementary contributions

Here you can find more information about the Ballaròthe old town of Palermo, the Centro Storico, Palermo Street Art Part 1, Palermo Street Food.

You want to add a few days by the sea to your city trip? Why not go where Palermo's nobility used to relax? Bagheria, Santa Flavia, Aspra, Cefalù. There are many beautiful places. But our personal favorite is the Villa Flavia Eco B&B, directly on Capo Zafferano. Oscar & Stefano have created a very special place here. Perfect for an exclusive and yet affordable short vacation.