Our promise is that it will be an unforgettable 24 hours. We will take you to theatres, courtyards, flowered balconies, arancini, fish and fishermen, castles, a Greek theatre and much more. If you don’t believe it is possible, it is because you have never been to wonderful Catania.  Welcome!

Catania is a beautiful city.

As every beautiful place, you have to be patient and curious to discover its true spirit: open, extremely friendly and with a surprise in store in every courtyard, corner and square.

Our tour starts in piazza Duomo where history, archaeology and culture will delight you. Not to be missed before visiting the Cathedral is the Terme Achilleane. The thermal baths were built in roman times, probably around the third century A.D, and were rediscovered at the behest of the Prince of Biscari, Ignazio Paternò Castello.

Next discover the baroque style of the Cathedral. Admire the fresco by Giacinto Platania that shows the lava flow of 1669 and the adjacent Diocesan Museum, which houses the ferculum of St. Agatha, patron saint of the city. To discover the real essence of the place you must stop in the fish market: the entrance to which is marked by the Amenano fountain. Here you will be amazed by the bright and vibrant colors of the adjacent Umbrellini Street, where taking an artistic selfie is a must!

 

After your walk among the market stalls, come back to piazza Duomo and continue along via Vittorio Emanuele II. Pass by the church of St. Placido and enter the courtyard of Palazzo della Cultura: admire the medieval architecture of the Platamone balcony.

A little further on is the byzantine chapel of Bonajuto where you can enjoy a good glass of wine or continue on to via Landolina – always crowded with youngsters looking for fun, especially after dinner for a drink – or continue up to Massimo Bellini Theatre with its fantastic facade and fine interiors.

If you prefer a historic tour, from the Duomo reach the Greek-Roman theatre and visit the Rotonda Termae behind the theatre. It is a curious Roman bath complex which was transformed first into a Byzantine church and then into a religious building in 1700.

Do not miss the Benedictine Monastery and the Ursino Castle, home of Friedrich II and the city museum.

For a tour of the city’s Christian culture, there is an alternative trail to discover the baroque churches in the city: San Francesco d’Assisi, San Benedetto and San Francesco Borgia.

If you’re looking for a cultural tour then go to Palazzo Biscari and visit the atelier of the designer Marella Ferrera, as well as the house of the writer Giovanni Verga and the II World War Museum.

Do you feel like the sea?

Nothing beats a relaxing stroll along the picturesque seafront of Catania, culminating in a pleasant stop in the picturesque fishing village of San Giovanni Li Cuti. This place is characterized by its charming combination of volcanic rock and black sand. You might be surprised to learn that, for the people of Catania, it’s a tradition to take a dip from the Li Cuti pier even during the winter months.

After this long walk, you can take a break at the public gardens dedicated to Vincenzo Bellini or at the Botanical Gardens. Before tasting the traditional cuisine of Catania – arancini, pizza, cartocciate as well as horse meat or fresh fish – enjoy a lemon soda and salt (seltz limone e sale) or a tamarind juice in one of the typical kiosks.