Things to do in Sassari
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Museo della Brigata Sassari
Sassari is rightly proud of its military heritage, especially the well-decorated Sassari Brigade, which fought with great gallantry during WWI. You can glean something of the terrible conditions they endured in the tiny Museo della Brigata Sassari in the military barracks.
Uniforms, photos, documents and other memorabilia evoke the ghastly conditions and ferocious bravery of the brigade, who were thrown into the thick of the trench fighting against the Austrians in northern Italy. You can even read the letter in which the Austro-Hungarian commander first gave the brigade their epithet 'the red devils'. There are old guns and grenades on show, and a re-creation of a modern…
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Chiesa di Santa Maria di Betlem
Just beyond what were the city walls stands the proud Romanesque façade of the eclectic Chiesa di Santa Maria di Betlem. The exterior betrays Gothic and even vaguely Oriental admixtures. Inside, the Catalan Gothic vaulting has been preserved, but much baroque silliness has crept in to obscure the original lines of the building. Lining each aisle in the chapels stand some of the giant 'candles' that the city guilds parade about town for the 14 August festivities.
The church is not always open, but your best bet is the morning.
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Palazzo d'Usini
North of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Via Cesare Battisti leads into the leafy Piazza Tola. It used to be the centre and main market of the medieval town, and you'll still find a market here on weekday mornings. When the Spaniards were in charge they burnt heretics here, looking on from fine palazzos such as the 1577 Palazzo d'Usini. It's a rare example of 16th-century civil architecture in Sardinia and now houses the public library.
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Museo Nazionale Sanna
Sassari’s main attraction is the Museo Nazionale Sanna and its comprehensive archaeological collection. The highlight is the nuraghic bronzeware, including weapons, bracelets, votive boats and figurines depicting humans and animals. Also has an interesting picture gallery and a small collection of Sardinian folk art.
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Trattoria L'Assassino
This trattoria is hidden away in a back alley off Piazza Tola. The more adventurous will step beyond the set meal and try a selection of 10 starters. These can include classics such as funghi arrosto (roasted mushrooms) and lumaconi (big snails). If you get really lucky you may find calf's testicles on the menu as well.
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Antica Posta
A new venture on one of the busiest streets in the old town, this is a wine bar-cum-grill room of the 'industrial architecture' type. Unlike many places in Sassari, it serves modern Sardinian food such as grilled steaks and fillet of fresh fish, as well as some interesting pastas like fregola con funghi (pasta with mushrooms).
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Il Castello
This wildly popular place serves monstrous portions of pasta and some justifiably famous meat platters. The most mind-blowing is the Chateaubriand steak (for two people), which arrives on its own trolley accompanied by a mountain of chips and grilled vegetables.
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Trattoria da Antonio
Affectionately known as Lu Panzone (the Big Belly), this boisterous, old-school trattoria does a great line in homespun, no-nonsense food. Think antipasti of salami, ham and cheese followed by steaming portions of pasta and hunks of grilled meat.
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Casa di Re Enzo
The Casa di Re Enzo is a remarkable 15th-century Catalan Gothic setting for what is now a stocking store. It is fronted by thick-set double arches and heavy hanging lamps. Wander inside to get a closer look at the vibrant frescoes and ceiling paintwork.
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L'Antica Hostaria
L'Antica enjoys a reputation as one of Sassari's top addresses. In intimate surroundings you are treated to inventive cuisine rooted in local tradition. Meat lovers should try the tagliata di manzo con rucola (thinly sliced beef with rocket).
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Duomo
In the heart of the centro storico, Sassari’s Duomo dazzles with its 18th-century baroque facade, a giddy free-for-all of statues, reliefs, friezes and busts. Inside, the cathedral reverts to its original Gothic character.
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La Vela Latina
This restaurant has a handful of tables in a nicely restored building and on the pleasant veranda. The menu changes with the seasons: there's lots of seafood (including good swordfish) in summer, and meats and mushrooms from autumn into winter.
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Fontana di Rosello
Water-carriers once drew water from the eight lion-head spouts that ring the base of the Renaissance Fontana di Rosello. It is an elegant affair - a pale white marble box topped by two fine marble arches that protect the figure of San Gavino.
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Trattoria Da Gesuino
Hidden away in the newer part of town, Da Gesuino hits exactly the right tone. It’s relaxed but service is efficient, the interior is inviting and the food is excellent. Pizzas are always a good choice as is the delicious risotto.
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Florian
This classic place has an unwaveringly authentic menu and an elegant dining area flanked by mirrors and stained glass. The adjacent café is similarly swanky, with Toulouse-Lautrec-style murals and girth-expanding cakes.
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Trattoria Da Peppina
This scary local option is only for the adventurous. It specialises in Sassaresi cuisine - snails and (asinello) donkey meat. It's tucked into a messy side alley off the lower end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.
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Fainè alla Genovese Sassu
This no-frills spot is the place to fill up on fainè, a cross between a pancake and pizza. There’s nothing else on the menu but with a wide range of toppings, you should find something to suit your tastes.
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Palazzo della Provincia
The grand dust-brown Piazza Italia sits right at the heart of town, surrounded by imposing 19th-century buildings, including the neoclassical Palazzo della Provincia, the seat of the regional government.
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Medieval Walls
Following Via Lamarmora west off the square, make for the Porta Rossello and then west along Corso Trinità, where you can admire the only substantial remnant of the city's Medieval Walls.
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Sergeant Pepper Disco Bar
If you're in town outside the summer you could try Sergeant Pepper Disco Bar. Otherwise, what action there is takes place well beyond the city centre - you'll need your own wheels or a taxi.
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Accademia
A cool bar in the buzzing university district. With tables in an attractive wrought-iron pavilion it gets very busy at lunchtime and on Friday and Saturday nights, when it stays open late.
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Caliente Caffè
The Caliente Caffè is a good wine bar with tables and chairs set out beneath a stretch of the 13th-century city wall. Try a glass of the fragrant Vermentino, Frinas.
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Il Cenacolo
Behind Il Cenacolo's modest entrance lies an opulent interior perhaps more in keeping with its previous life as a luxury gym. The emphasis here is on fish and seafood.
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Casa Farris
Casa Farris remains in a lamentable state, but its Gothic windows are a clear indication that the building has managed, barely, to survive down the centuries.
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Statue of King Vittorio Emanuele II
A Statue of King Vittorio Emanuele II presides over Piazza Italia. The monument's inauguration in 1899 was the occasion for the first Cavalcata Sarda.
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