Erice - a Hilltop Wonder Not to Be Missed, Erice, Italy

Erice is easily accessible from Trapani either via road, walking or by cableway. We decided on the cableway which was 9 euros each return. Erice is a hilltop town or commune located at the top of Mount Erice at around 750 metres above sea level and came recommended to us so with a reasonable cost of the return trip we decided to give it a go and are glad we did. Erice is definitely a hilltop wonder not to be missed!

We boarded the cable car with no queues (which is always a bonus) and started our climb to 750 metres on the cable of 3099 metres slanted up the mountainside. The views were incredible! We could see the Trapani peninsula and sea views were fantastic. The trip lasted around 10 minutes.

Reaching the top we disembarked and entered the Trapani Gate, the main gate to the city thought to have been build in Norman times.

The first attraction to greet us was the Duomo or Cathedral of Erice. For 6 euros each we purchased a combined ticket which allowed us access to multiple sites of interest in Erice including the cathedral bell tower and the cathedral itself.

The Cathedral was built in the 14th century by King Frederick of Aragon, initially for not only religious but also defense purposes given the views from the bell tower allowing 360 monitoring of the surrounding areas. The cathedral was original built in gothic style; however after a restoration/rebuilt in 1865 many of the original frescoes disappeared. It was still impressive. Next the slow walk up the bell tower. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).