We await you at the "Falcone e Borsellino" airport outside of Palermo and accompany you to Cefalù, the chic seaside resort of the island's capital. A turquoise blue sea, long sandy beaches, hidden private villas and hotel complexes from the 1970s frame the port city, which is characterized by the majestic Norman cathedral. After checking in at the "Vallegrande Nature Resort", ten minutes drive from Cefalù, we present you our Alfa Romeo Spider. You choose your favorites from our fleet every day and familiarize yourself with the classic cars and the route on an introductory lap. In the evening we accompany you to the old town, where you can talk to your fellow travelers over a typical Sicilian dinner.
Today's stage is all about the history of the Targa Florio. The "Parco Regionale delle Madonie", with its narrow, winding country roads, was the scene of fierce competition at the beginning of the 20th century during the first editions of the "Targa Florio". It's a bare but graceful mountain setting that you wouldn't expect to find on the island. In the ravines and serpentines, the torque of our Alfa Romeo is at its best, this is where the "cuore sportivo", the sporty heart of our fleet, is at its best. In Collesano, the history of the race, its triumphs and legends are retold in a small museum in the town hall. Today's route is one of the most beautiful in the Nostalgic itinerary, so we recommend a relaxing dinner at the hotel in the evening to unwind.
After the driver briefing, turn the ignition key on our Alfa Romeo and head west. Past the historic grandstands and pit lanes of Floriopoli, the route spirals deep into the backlands, deserted streets of breathtaking beauty. And yet there are plenty of villas along the way; the typical Sicilian villages for a spontaneous coffee stop. We plan a lunch break in Roccapalumba before returning to Cefalù by another mountain route.
Today, after breakfast and check-out, enjoy the coast of Cefalù heading east to Santo Stefano di Camastra. In the early afternoon we accompany you to the old town of Palermo, the beating heart of Sicily. Your boutique hotel "Quinto Canto" is located in a former noble palace right on the square of the "Quattro Canti", which is framed by baroque architecture. After checking in, you will get to know the most important sights on an extensive guided tour. Your last evening in Sicily ends with a traditional dinner in the old town.
At the end of your five-day trip, experience racing history up close. The "Museo Storico dei Motori e dei Meccanismi" is also housed on the premises of the University of Palermo, here you will find the "pit lane" of today's editions of the Targa Florio. Drivers and participant vehicles are ready to be inspected here, and you have the chance to talk about petrol under the Sicilian sun. Soak up the atmosphere, the hustle and bustle around the launch pad, and then enjoy free time in the city center before we escort you to Palermo Airport for your flights home in the afternoon.
* Price per person sharing a double room and a classic car.
The Targa Florio is the oldest endurance race in the world, even older than the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. In the 1920s, the Targa Florio was the most prestigious race in the world.
At the turn of the last century, the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily, was home to an extremely influential and wealthy family of entrepreneurs who maintained close ties with the royal houses and the moneyed aristocracy of Europe. In their homeland, the Florio family owned extensive estates - and there was one scion who was crazy about automobiles.
Vincenzo Florio had a great passion for car racing and took part in various races in Italy and France. In 1906, he organised a race himself for the first time, the winner of which was awarded a plaque - 'targa' in Italian: the 'Targa Florio' was born, in the Madonia Mountains, some 200 km east of the capital Palermo. The extremely demanding 140 km circuit very soon became a fixed meeting place for the European racing driver elite. While Alfa Romeo, Bugatti and Maserati still dominated in the beginning, Ferrari and Porsche contested the victories in the post-war period. With 11 overall victories, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer remained the most successful overall winner of the Targa Florio. The 911 model with the removable coupé roof was subsequently named after the race.
Palermo, the capital of Sicily, lies in the northwest of the island and is the largest and most important city with more than 600,000 inhabitants. Palermo has a large number of outstanding sights (7 buildings alone belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Site) which were built by the Arabs, the Normans but above all by the Staufers. King Frederick II turned Palermo into a splendid residence; during his reign, the Norman Palace, the Palatine Chapel and the Cathedral, where Frederick II and Henry VI are buried, were built. When sulphur became important as a raw material for the production of firearms, Sicily achieved further economic prosperity, which made neoclassical buildings such as the Teatro Massimo, one of the largest opera houses in Europe, possible.
The Madonie Nature Park is located in the north of Sicily and is the highest mountain massif on the island after Mount Etna, with elevations of up to almost 2,000 metres. The Florio family owned extensive land and forests here, and had their own road built here, which later formed the "Circuito delle Madonie" and was the main part of the Targa Florio. Today, the nature reserve is a hiker's paradise and home to over 60% of all species of flora and fauna native to Sicily.
Not included in the arrangement:
Meals, unless otherwise indicated, travel to Palermo (PMO)
Balanstraße 73 / 81541 München
Office: +49 (0)89 5454060
Fax: +49 (0)89 5454066
E-mail: info@nostalgic.de
Martin K. –
Sehr gute Organisation, enorm motivierte Begleiter( Grosses Lob von allen Seiten!!) , die Oldies sehr gut in Schuss. Auch nach unserer 3.Reise mit Nostalgic sind wir noch nicht "satt" und kommen gerne wieder
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Stephan K. –
Alles in allem eine Traumreise.
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Robin –
Gordon, Julie, Susan and I had a great holiday in Sicily
The arrangements first class, the Quintocanto an ideal location for us to explore Palermo and enjoy the ‘Osterias’ and roof top bars
We also enjoyed Hotel Vallegrande near Cefalu, good food and wine in the evening and healthy breakfasts – the small group of four couples got on well and were good company. Thank you for the gifts of the Alfa, the ruck sack and of course the very valuable phone charger. Gordon and I ‘rolled back the years’ driving your beautiful Alfas, the note of the engines, the smell in the air, the open top motoring and the fabulous roads we drove on, really good fun. Lastly but by no means least, you have two great characters in Felix and Alec, engaging, extremely helpful young men who clearly love what they are doing – a real credit to Nostalgic.
Best regards
Robin
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