Catania

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About Catania

With Mount Etna smouldering in the background, Catania is a lively, energetic and youthful city, drawing in a crowd of creatives and foodies. It’s Sicily’s second-largest city, thriving in southern Italian splendour and gritty authenticity, with Baroque monuments, upmarket boutiques, and quirky designer bars and cafés. The perfect place for those seeking hot weather and a cultured city break.

Useful Information

Key facts

	Language:	Italian
	Currency:	Euro
	Time zone:	GMT +1 hour (GMT +2 hours in summer)
	Flight time:	3 hours
	Airport code:	CTA
	Holiday type:	Beach / Summer Sun

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Catania map

Accommodation

You’ll find lots of interesting accommodation in Catania, even if you’re on a budget. The guest rooms at the Manganelli Palace Hotel, located right in the centre, have been ornately decorated, with hand-painted ceiling frescoes. At the Asmundo di Gisira each of the six ‘art rooms’ have been inspired by mythological figures, and at reception you’re greeted with a 3m-high pink flamingo…

If you’re looking for luxury, the 4-star Palace Catania has breathtaking views of Mount Etna from its roof garden, along with extravagant guest suites, and even a Turkish bath. The Hotel Villa del Bosco takes you back in time – set in a beautiful 19th-century building, it has opulent interiors, charming grounds, and a secluded courtyard swimming pool.

Activities

Mount Etna dominates the city, and there are many different guided tours available, whether you want a hardcore hike and trek around the volcano’s craters, landscape and lava flow cave, or you want to ascend by a cable car to see the sights. Or you might want to book a romantic Mount Etna tour, which includes Sicilian delicacies like cantucci biscuits and Zibibbo wine, setting off later in the day so you can see the spectacular sunset.

Back in the city you could watch a performance at Teatro Massimo Bellini, Catania’s lavish opera house, visit the Monastero delle Benedettine, one of Europe’s largest monasteries, or enjoy sultry outdoor film nights at Arena Argentina.

Food & Drink

Catania’s a dream destination for foodies, with fresh island ingredients, age-old recipes and sunny Mediterranean ingredients. Its famous pasta sauce, alla Norma, has elegant ancestry (its name comes from an opera written by Puccini) – it’s made with aubergines, tomatoes and salted ricotta, and you’ll find it on menus all over the city.

Other must-try food Sicilian food includes arancini (deep-fried risotto balls), sfincione (a thick, doughy ‘pizza pie’), torta setteveli (a deliciously indulgent cake made with seven layers of chocolate and toasted hazelnuts), and brioche gelato (an ice cream sandwich) – try Pasticceria Savia for exceptional and unusual ice cream flavours, such as fig leaf and peach in Marsala.

Attractions

Catania is very much defined by its volcano – after the Old Town was devastated by Mount Etna in 1669, and then by an earthquake in 1693, it was nobly rebuilt using the lava that had once been the city’s nemesis, resulting in a striking ‘grey city’ that has fascinated visitors for centuries.

In the Piazza del Duomo you’ll find the smiling Fontana dell’Elefante (Fountain of the Elephant) – this comical and adorable elephant is known locally as Liotru, and according to local folklore it possesses magical powers. Behind the Piazza del Duomo you’ll find La Pescheria, an iconic fish market that pulls in the masses for its raucous atmosphere and theatrics – and surrounding market you’ll find plenty of great seafood restaurants.