BRM 200 Le Strade del Vino

April 18 2026

Palermo Italy

Unconfirmed

Distances: 195 km

Difficulty: Moderate terrain with rolling short steep hills or moderate, sustained climbs

It starts from the renovated VELODROMO PAOLO BORSELLI and proceeds in front of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo (it is the largest opera house in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe, third in order of architectural magnitude after the Opéra National in Paris and the Staatsoper in Vienna). From the beating heart of the city, touching the Arab-Norman route recently announced a 'World Heritage Site' by UNESCO, proceed in the direction of "quattro canti" (the crossroads that divided the ancient city into four districts) there you turn right along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, you will meet the Cathedral and Palazzo dei Normanni, you will exit from Porta Nuova (limit on the hinterland side of the ancient city) to continue straight along Corso Calatafimi. Then you gradually climb towards the fortress of Monreale which with its Cathedral overlooks the golden basin (we recommend at least going around the square to admire this masterpiece that gives its best but inside, being the second church in the world for mosaic surface), you continue to climb through the village of Pioppo and you arrive after 25 km from the start at the highest point of the Randonneè at 670 meters above sea level (Portella Paglia); descend towards San Giuseppe and climb up towards Camporeale. From here the wine road starts through soft hills with endless rows of grapes until it arrives, uphill to the sadly evocative scenery of the villages devastated by the Belice earthquake of 1968 with the ruins of Poggioreale and to follow the famous "Cretto di Burri" which is nothing more than the reproduction of the urban plan of the original Gibellina (destroyed by the earthquake), expressed in the greatest work of art in the world. From the streets witnessing a drama, you return to life by meeting Santa Ninfa, Gibellina Nuova and go up towards the city center of the village of Salemi (where the 2nd checkpoint km.111 is located) after crossing the village of Vita (probably the most touching moment of the whole randonnèe where once again the ruins of '68, they mix with the inhabited houses in a grotesque landscape more emphasized by the name itself) you gradually descend to the crossroads of Calatafimi, with the possibility, extending about 3 km of slight climb, to visit the obelisk of Garibaldi (monument and ossuary designed in 1885 by the famous architect Ernesto Basile to commemorate the battle of Calatafimi on May 15, 1860 and inaugurated on May 15, 1892) Or the possibility of visiting the temple of Segesta (also here a detour of about 3 km); you then head decisively towards the sea and reach the coast in Castellammare del Golfo (the route continues to the right, but if you want, turning left for Trapani and climbing for about 1 km you reach a decidedly interesting panoramic point where you can see the whole town from above with castle, cove and marina and the whole Gulf of Castellammare), followed by Alcamo marina and the coastal villages of Balestrate (3rd checkpoint km 156) and Trappeto. Return to the SS113. After the junction for Terrasini, cross the Corso di Cinisi and continue towards Villagrazia di Carini; in Capaci then, with a devA few hundred meters away, you can reach the stele placed in memory of the fallen of the massacre of 23/5/1992 for a dutiful tribute to the victims of the mafia. Isola della Femmine and Sferracavallo are the last seaside villages, today practically a Palermo hinterland, before returning to the city from the north side. Turn left and, at the end of the long Viale Lanza di Scalea, return to the VELODROME. On EASTER SATURDAY, cyclists will have the opportunity to repeat the experience again and the most daring will be able to measure themselves on a new distance, in fact they will be able to choose the 300-kilometer route with over 5000 meters of elevation gain. Up to the slopes of the city of Salemi the route will be the same for all the "strays", so those who have preferred the longer distance will deviate in the direction of the town of Partanna, Santa Margherita del Belice, Sambuca di Sicilia, Giuliana, Chiusa Sclafani, Palazzo Adriano, Prizzi, Corleone, Ficuzza, Santa Agata, Santa Cristina Gela, Belmonte Mezzagno, Gibilrossa to return to Palermo along Via Messine Marine. We hope to have a festive crowd of cyclists wearing the colors of our randonnée.

BRM 300 Lake Constance