Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Pearls of Switzerland
Feb 4, 2023
10 min read

Updated: Oct 25

This post is dedicated to my father who passed away on december, 18th 2022. He was born before WW II and grew up in Guasila, a small village in South Sardinia. My Papà left for work to Lucerne in Switzerland, in 1962. He loved Sardinia, his village and the traditions.

1. In Winter green, in Summer yellow. 2. Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption in Guasila. 3. Handmade basket were used in the past to preserve or transport food and objects. Preserving the ancient traditions, colors, shapes and attention to detail, guarantee the quality and respect of the island's artisan tradition.

Sardinia has a unique history and culture…

If you really care to understand the culture and people of Sardinia, you need to have at least a vague idea of the history. Sardinia has very ancient origins. This is key to better understand Sardinia.

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the 20 regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia and immediately south of the French island of Corsica.

The island has an ancient geoformation and, unlike Sicily and mainland Italy, is not earthquake prone. Its rock formations were created during the Paleozoic era, between 543 and 245 million years ago. Read more here.

Tourism expanded later in Sardinia than in the two other big islands situated closeby: Sicily and Corse. Online I found a study work Planning for tourism in Costa Smeralda by Alessandra Cappai. She describes very well the situation as still today ghost villages out of the summer season are a picture of Sardinia.

Cagliari Cagliari is located on the Golfo degli Angeli (Gulf of Angels) and is the largest city and the capital of Sardinia with about 150’000 of inhabitants and is the most important city of the island, with a metropolitan area of about half a million inhabitants. The city is built around its castle - the heart of the old town - full of narrow streets and massive, magnificent walls. Cagliari is warmly called "Casteddu" (castle in Sardinian). The charming city was founded in the Neolithic age (6000-3000 B.C.), only many centuries later, Cagliari became an authentic city, thanks to the Phoenician-Punics dominators, which took advantage from its central position in the Mediterranean Sea, they turned Cagliari into a bustling commercial port.

The capital of the island has a soul consisting of a millenary history, culture, nature, beach tourism and night life, an attractive mix that fascinates the visitor, charmed by the views of Castello, the ramparts and the Roman remains, the Sardinian Sea, as well as by the dynamism of a surprisingly lively city.

Cagliari is a perfect eco-system, a city suspended among sky, earth, and water. Water in Cagliari is not only the sea. A few steps from the long beach lie lagoons and natural reserves unique all over Europe. In the old saltworks, that at sunset wear purple-red hues. The city is framed, on the east side by the Molentargius pond, natural reserve and perfect habitat for many plants and animal’s species.

Looking west, the lagoon of Santa Gilla, magic place for the early Punic settlements.

Cagliari Elmas Airport is connected to the most important European cities.A shuttle bus connects the airport to the city center in Piazza Matteotti,situated between the port and the train station. Taxis and rent-a-car servicesconnect the airport to downtown too.

As Swiss does not fly to Elmas during winter season I had to book ITA Airways from Zurich to Rome and from Rome to Elmas. Elmas (CAG) is located 10 km from Cagliari Piazza Matteotti (city centre). From the new station «Elmas Airport» you can reach the Cagliari central station in about 7 minutes. By Taxi it takes depending on traffic between 12 – 20 minutes.

The train or railway station Cagliari Piazza Matteotti is clean and modern. It has 4 platforms and 8 tracks. I was surprised to see on display a steam locomotive 744.003 from 1928! The station was inaugurated 1879.

My favourite Hotel in Cagliari

Palazzo Doglio ***** Member of The Leading Hotels of the World – A place where the different worlds of hôtellerie, haute cuisine, shopping, wellness and high-end real estate come together in perfect harmony in the heart of Cagliari. Palazzo Doglio is developed around an elegant open-air indoor square with a scenic fountain. I had a great time with all I need to be happy: a cosy modern and clean large room with large balcony, spa, restaurants with dishes from around the world, friendly staff members and super located. Near the Port, the shopping district, the city's main offices and near the beautiful Basilica of San Saturnino, the oldest in the Mediterranean. All in walking distance. The inner court is also a private space for public use that hosts four excellent restaurants, an elegant jewellery store, a multibrand boutique and an exclusive spa. Going back for sure again is what I have in mind.

I was booked in in a spacious and luxurious 35sqm Prestige Room.

Entering into the Prestige Room No. 326 I was surprised by a warm welcome by a staff and a bottle of Blanc de Blancs served with a fruit plate. The room has high pearly grey-brown walls and matches perfectly with the furnishings and interiors. Modern design and classic details made this hotel room the perfect place for my stay. With two large balcony windows the room is bright and when you are stepping out you can overlook the courtyard with its majestic fountain. The King-size bed is super comfortable, a sofa for two with five cushions, a work area with desk and armchair, and a large bathroom in Carrara marble, with separate bath and large walk-in shower were awaiting me. The towels and bathrobes were soft and free amenities were placed in the shower and on the sink. In addition to the setting, the Prestige rooms offer also smart TV, free wi-fi connection, air conditioning, hairdryer, safe and minibar. After a delicious dinner at Maiori I saw that the night curtains were closed and night slippers were put beside the bed on the floor. A bottle of still water and a good night chocolate was on my bedside cabinet. Happy to go to bed and get a real good relaxing night’s sleep in a comfy bed.

Rooms and Suites:

· 25 – 30 sqm, Classic Room for 2 pax

· 30 – 35 sqm, Deluxe Room for 2 – 3 pax

· 30 – 35 sqm, Prestige Room for 2 – 3 pax

· 40 – 45 sqm, Suite Standard for 2 – 3 pax

· 60 sqm, Suite Executive for 2 – 3 pax

This hotel is ideal for family vacations or reunions as you can book also connecting rooms.

The breakfast was included in my room rate and was served at Osteria del Forte. Of course you can order breakfast also in your room via room service. The continental breakfast buffet offers a good selection of bread and croissants, fruits, eggs, ham, mushrooms, different cheese, honey, butter, jam, nutella, cereals, milk, water, orange juice and pear juice, etc. The cappuccino is served on request also with Lactose free milk and you can order also eggs benedict.

Restaurants & Bar - dinner experiences were great and I had dinner in every restaurant only in one not. Always very friendly service and the beverages and food was served promptly. All fresh made and delicous. Non-alcoholic cocktails are also served and at Maiori you can choose between pizzas classiche and pizzas dello chef (created by Emanuele Riemma) and five homemade desserts, what makes the choice really difficult. The Osteria del Forte serves traditional Italian cuisine of a high level and offers selected wines and champagnes. If you go for Coloniàl you can expect very good food, great value for money and top service. This was my favourite restaurant. The American Bar serves cocktails and I got also olives and Guttiau snacks.

@Maiori

@Osteria del Forte

@Coloniàl

@American Bar

Doglio Club Spa & Beauty is available to hotel guests and to the public by reservation only. The 400sqm spa has changing rooms, a swimming pool with four different water jets, sauna, hammam, 3 treatment cabins, a fitness area and a relaxing herbal tea corner.

Download here the brochure.

The gym is included, the wellness path is 50,00 Euro per person / 2 hours.

For wedding receptions, private events and MICE Palazzo Doglio offers exclusive and elegant rooms equipped with modern technologies.

The Teatro Doglio is the perfect location for conventions, congresses and team building activities or business presentations in the city of Cagliari with a capacity of up to a thousand people and only a few steps away from the Hotel.

At a glance:

Rooms and Suites: 72 in total

Concierge service: yes

Special offers: yes

Wi-Fi: free

Aircondition: yes

Car parking: yes

Restaurants: four

Spa: yes

Leaders Club: yes

Nearest airport: Elmas (CAG), ca. 10km

Nearest beach: Poetto Beach, ca. 5km

The Palazzo Doglio complex offers not only hotel rooms but also residences.

Contact:

Palazzo Doglio

Vico Logudoro

09127 Cagliari

reservation@palazzodoglio.com

Tel. +39 070 64640

Virtual tour of the Palazzo Doglio:

https://www.palazzodoglio.com/en/virtual-tours-2/?tour=274

The collection

Forte Village, Sardinia – Palazzo Doglio, Sardinia – Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy

What to do – MUSTS when in Cagliari

Its extremely central location makes the hotel an excellent starting point if you want to discover Cagliari and the surrounding area. Just a few steps from Palazzo Doglio is the famous Piazza San Cosimo, in which the ancient early Christian Basilica of San Saturino, stands out. This is the oldest church in the capital, built in Byzantine-Proto-Romanic style between the 5th and 6th century: together with the necropolis on which it was built, it is one of the most important paleo-Christian complexes in the Mediterranean.

A must when in Cagliari is a visit to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. The museum sites are located in the ancient Castello district. The archaeological collection includes over 4,000 artifacts that tell a long history of almost 7,000 years, from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages, from Neolithic mother goddesses to Nuragic bronzes, from Phoenician and Punic jewels to Byzantine cult objects. The historical-artistic section houses a precious collection of Catalan-Aragonese culture retables from the 15th and 16th centuries and paintings up to the 20th century. Inscriptions and coats of arms make up the lapidary that tells the urban and social evolution of the city of Cagliari. Fabrics and jewels of the Sardinian tradition, as well as a precious bronze 11th century water tower, complete the museum collection.

The National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari opens to everyone virtually because #thecultureneverstops! http://www.teravista.it/museo_archeologico_cagliari/

One of the most well-known and important aspects of the Phoenician and Punic crafts in Sardinia is the production of jewellery and ornaments of #gold, #silver, #bronze, hard stone, and glass paste.

The Botanical Garden A journey through scents and colours, art and history, to discover a landscape heritage consisting in seven historic gardens from the end of the 19th century, which combine architecture and botany.

Beaches

The beaches of Sardinia are places of the heart. They rank among the most beautiful in Europe. The colour of the sea ranges from turquoise to emerald green, the surrounding landscapes seem painted and the rocks are sculpted by the wind.

Excursions I recommend also to do an excursion direction southwest of Cagliari to visit ancient city of Nora.

Nora was founded by the Phoenicians, who chose the site for the settlement because of its strategic position, since it offered ships two landing areas, to the east and to the west of the promontory, depending on the direction of the winds. This great seafaring and trading people arrived on the west coasts of Sardinia between the IX and VII centuries BC, where they founded a few genuine colonies, among others Karalis (Cagliari), Bithia (Chia), Sulcis (Sant’Antioco) and Tharros (Oristano). According to legend the founder of the city was the mythical Norax, son of Ermes and Eritya, but one thing is almost certain and that is that Nora was the first city on the island. Testimony to this was uncovered during excavation work, when a stone was found bearing an inscription in the Phoenician alphabet, which, for the first time, cites the word Sardinia. Nora is, therefore, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, however, its importance is also due to its rich history. The city remained under Phoenician rule until the VI sec. BC, but was then conquered by the Carthaginians and later, in the I century BC, became a Roman “municipium”.

Shopping

Shopping in Cagliari is not just running around a shopping centre but actually strolling down the city’s narrow, cobbled streets while enjoying the marvellous experience of shopping. Italy is famous for its high-end fashion and Cagliari is no exception. You can find anything from your typical street bargain to high-end fashions and couture. Most of the shopping areas are concentrated around the city centre. Some of the most famous streets for shopping around Cagliari are via Alghero, Via Sulis offers visitors from high-end fashion boutiques to vintage and jewellery stores. Largo Carlo Felice and via Roma are also lined up with a vast variety of shops from bookshops, antiques to the well-known la Rinascente department store. Via Manno and via Garibaldi are great for bargain finds and small boutique browsing. Both are pedestrian streets with plenty of shops selling clothing, accessories and handicrafts.

La Rinascente high-end shopping in the city. It is the ideal place to find the best when it comes down to fashion, accessories, beauty, home, design and gourmet foods. Here shoppers can browse a wide range of the best-known Italian and international brands with two storeys dedicated to women's fashion of the latest and most tempting trends. Visitors will also find the most innovative cosmetics and the best-known brands in the Beauty department on the ground-floor. But the show piece is the brand new Food Hall on the sixth Floor: a unique location with a spectacular sea view.

Eating where locals do

Stella Marina di Montecristo, a Seafood only restaurant. No menu – the owner serves you what the fishers got on the day from the sea, generously portioned and reasonably priced. You will love it! A simple place with pictures and paintings on the walls. Via Sardegna 140, 09124 Cagliari – call for reservation +39 347 578 8964

Walking along the Sea, Su Siccu – Marina di Bonaria

For lovers of walking this is a nice and relaxing walk departing from the Port in front of the main street of Cagliari, Via Roma. You can sit on a bench and enjoy the view of the sea, the birds, the sound of waves…

This and That In Sardinia, you live better, longer and in good health... it's a land of long life. In Sardinia, and even more in Ogliastra, one of the five international blue zones, the number of people aged over ninety and in good health and good mental and physical shape is decidedly higher than average in the rest of the world. It isn’t just a question of genetic make-up. Other things that come into play are genuine food, made like it was in the past, the natural environment, the cultural and social context and the value of shared, handed-down 'memories’ of the past.

In fact my aunt and uncle are 96 and 98 😊

And last but not least There is the idea to be part of Switzerland and exit Italy: Canton Marittimo (the 27° canton of the Federal Council). Visit their Facebook page for more information.

Links: Cagliari Tourist Office https://www.cagliariturismo.it/en

Sardegna Tourism

https://www.sardegnaturismo.it/en

Palazzo Doglio

https://www.palazzodoglio.com/en