City Guide: Sorrento

     Sorrento is the home of mythical sirens.

     Their songs are fabled to be a death-sentence for ancient sailors and their ships. Only Homer’s Ulysses, a favorite hero of the epic novel Odyssey was smart enough to plug his ears with wax to escape the dreadful trap.

     Sorrento is much more interesting in life than on paper. Booked.net can place you in cheap hotel in Sorrento or in luxury one if you check out our hotel selection. Our listings include maps, photos and secure forms on every hotel.

     According to old legend, Sorrento was founded by Liparos, a grandson of Ulysses and the witch Circe, while scientific sources claim the Greeks established the city in the 6th century AD. The city changed hands from Romans to Byzantines. In the 16th century the area was terrorized by pirates, so the locals had to fortify the city. In 1861 the city was incorporated to Italy, and changed its serious military image for that of a pleasant holiday destination.

     Sorrento's hospitality is well-known worldwide. Many famous personalities have soaked in its laid-back lifestyle. You should take a page out from Water Scott's or Goethe's book and check out whether Sorrento's reputation of ''serena stazione de soggiorno'' meaning peaceful holiday resort, is true.

     The best way to capture Sorrento is sightseeing tour. Attractions include;

- Museo Correale di Terranova, a beautiful picture gallery with extensive art collections

- Museo Bottega della Tasia Lignea preserves collections of local art

- Villa Pollio offer a view of the roman ruins in Capo di Sorrento

- Basilica di Sant'Antonino, an architectural masterpiece in Sorrento

- The puntacampanella is a natural reserve with unique flora and fauna on display

     Ancient villas, medieval churches and beautiful statues proof the city has evolved through the different cultures of the Etruscans and Greeks, to the Romans, Byzantines. It makes the local culture being comprised of the sum of their traditions and habits. This eclectic essence of the city can be seen in the Correale Museum devoted to the influence of foreign presence over the land. There you can enjoy Venetian glass introduced to the area and exquisite porcelain by Doccia and Guistiniani.

     There are several cultural layers to Sorrento from its Greek origins to Roman influence. These make Sorrento a city to explore with Booked.net.