Montalbano Historic Center

Departure | Montalbano Elicona (Me)

• Length: 3 km
• Altitude: 900 m a.s.l.
• Elevation gain: 100 m
• Duration: 2h
• Difficulty: easy

The visit to the historic center and surroundings of Montalbano Elicona — awarded “Borgo dei Borghi 2015” by the “Most Beautiful Villages of Italy” association — offers the opportunity to rediscover an architectural and naturalistic heritage that is unique of its kind. This ancient village, nestled among the Nebrodi Mountains, retains its original medieval layout, which developed around the Swabian-Aragonese fortification and the Cathedral.

The historic center of Montalbano Elicona has been preserved thanks to the limited urban development in recent centuries, which has kept the ancient urban structure intact. The small terraced houses, built on rocky spurs, surround the majestic Swabian-Aragonese Castle and the Cathedral — today a Minor Basilica. Strolling through the evocative alleyways, you encounter small medieval churches and noble palaces with finely carved doorways. From the “Belvedere Portello,” you can admire a breathtaking view of the Tyrrhenian coastline and the Aeolian Islands.

---