La Kalsa, Palermo by Stephen Emms

Palermo’s oldest district, La Kalsa, Arabic for ‘pure’, was neglected for years after World War Two, in which its inspiring hotchpotch of Moorish, Baroque and Norman architecture was nearly destroyed. Whilst it's still a city in progress, with cranes towering over buildings often veiled in scaffolding, desolate it ain't, thanks to a new generation of young Palermians who are reclaiming once-decaying palazzi as art galleries, exhibition spaces and bars.

See

Head straight to Piazza Kalsa and its iconic Greek Gate, before a wander round an area which heaves with eclectic architecture (Piazza Magione and Santa Theresa Church on Via Torremuzza are both highlights). La Kalsa's derelict buildings buzz with transient contemporary art shows - often for one night only – but seek out the permanent Expa (Via Alloro), a stunning architectural gallery with cocktail bar and bookshop, nestling in a 14th-century palazzo. Over the road, don’t miss Kalsart’s jazz/ambient/Cuban ongoing music festival at the roofless Palazzo Bonagia.

Eat/Drink

Hit the rowdy corner of Piazza Kalsa/Via Torremuzza for stalls selling hot baby snails or grilled squid - and lashings of cheap Sicilian wine. Try local specialities like pasta con sarde or pesce spade at La Cambusa (16 Piazza Marina), the best eatery in this leafy square, or for a romantic dinner in a beautiful setting head to Kursaal Kalhesa - a bookshop, bar and terrace restaurant (overlooking Piazza Kalsa) within the cool walls of Foro Umberto (at No.21).

For the best spaccatelle with shrimp – as well as the friendliest service in town – take a five minute cab ride to the top-notch Cin Cin (22 Via Manin). Oh, and tiny bars lurk along the Via Alloro (go for local Pinot Noir-ish grape Frappato at Enoteca Cana, No 105) , but the absolute must-see is Designbar, an icily cool hang-out on the roof of the medieval Expa building, which boasts three huge original David LaChapelle prints.

Shop

Street markets abound at either nearby Vucciria or Via Carini (ten minutes’ walk) where you can gawp at outsize lemons, snake-like courgettes, and mammoth swordfish. La Kalsa’s streets heave with tiny specialist shops, such as Officine Akhab (13 Via Alloro), a cute boutique selling fashion accessories and Scandi-influenced homeware, as well as clusters of jewellery and silver shops dotted around the Via Garibaldi.