One of the best reasons for heading up to Ragusa's modern and less-attractive half is to walk down again. It takes about half an hour to descend the Salita Commendatore, a winding pass of stairs and narrow archways that leads down to Ragusa Ibla past the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Scale, a 15th-century church with impressive views. To reach the Salita, follow Corso Italia eastwards and then pick up Via XXIV Maggio.
The main attraction up top is the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, a vast 19th-century church whose highly ornate facade is set off by Mario Spada's pretty campanile. Nearby, below Ponte Nuovo, the somewhat forlorn Museo Archeologico Ibleo houses notable finds from the 6th-century-BC Greek settlement of Kamarina on the coast.