7 Best Sights in Sicily, Italy

A natural salt deposit that was once one of the largest salt mines in Europe has been converted into the town's Museum of Contemporary Art. Aside from browsing the artwork, you can also visit the underground mining caves and see how the salt has been carved into a kind of underground cathedral filled with sculptures. The museum is open sporadically and mainly during the summer months, so be sure to check the website for upcoming dates and book your tickets in advance to ensure your spot.

For lovers of ceramics, this local museum is the best place to learn about the ancient art that has been practiced here since the Greeks colonized Sicily. It has a fantastic, if rather eccentrically curated, collection of ceramics from throughout this history as well as original pieces from local artisans. The museum is housed in the sadly decaying Palazzo Trabia, an aristocratic palace acquired by the local government and converted especially to house these extensive ceramic exhibitions.

Housed in the 16th-century former convent of Sant'Agostino, the small but intriguing Papyrus Museum uses informative exhibits and videos to demonstrate how papyri are prepared from reeds and then painted—an ancient tradition in the city. Siracusa, it seems, has the only climate outside the Nile Valley in which the papyrus plant—from which the word "paper" comes—thrives.

Caltagirone was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for its ceramics as well as for its numerous Baroque churches. Although the museum offers little information in English about the beautiful items displayed in its many glass cases, you can still see one of Sicily's most extensive ceramics collections, ranging from Neolithic finds to red-figure pottery from 5th-century-BC Athens and 18th-century terra-cotta Nativity figures.

This collection of more than 4,000 masterpieces showcasing the traditional Opera dei Pupi (puppet show), both Sicilian and otherwise, will delight visitors of all ages with their glittering armor and fierce expressions. The free audio guide to the colorful displays is only available in Italian, but the well-designed exhibits include video clips of the puppets in action, which requires no translation. There are also regular live performances in the museum's theater (Monday 11 am and Tuesday–Saturday 5 pm), which center on the chivalric legends of troubadours of bygone times. The museum can be hard to find: look for the small alley just off Piazzetta Antonio Pasqualino 5.

Begun in 1906, the Targa Florio car race weaved its way through the picturesque towns and villages of the Madonie Mountains every year until it was stopped in 1977 for safety reasons; today the same route is driven as part of the annual Italian Rally Championship. Collesano has been an important stage of the race since its inception, and today the city is home to a museum dedicated to the history of the car race. In a detailed exhibition, you can learn of its origins and participants, including some of the most famous drivers that Italy has ever produced. It's an excellent museum for those who love racing and cars.

The Castello di Milazzo is home to this museum founded by Sicilian marine biologist Carmelo Isgro who recovered the remains of a sperm whale that died after it was caught in an illegal fishing net off the Aeolian Islands. Isgro reconstructed the whale's skeleton, and it became the central figure of the museum along with other exhibits that highlight the relationship between man and the sea and how it can be improved. While the museum is free, you still have to book your ticket online at least 24 hours in advance.