Catania

Crowned by the snowy peak of Sicily’s most definitive volcano, the painted houses and baroque palaces of UNESCO-attested Catania form one of the island’s most enchanting cityscapes. At its heart, the bubbling Piazza del Duomo is alive with coffee joints, bubbling trattorias and bars that bustle with Catania’s university-goers on the weekends, all imbibing joyfully under the shadow of the great Norman Duomo and the elaborate Teatro Massimo. Today, visiting tourists to Catania join a wealth of historical incomers, from the ancient Chalcidian Greeks and the imperial Romans, to Byzantine emperors and Venetian aristocracy—all of whom have come, gazed and fallen in love with this enthralling city on Sicily’s eastern shore. Those interested in Sicily’s long history should be sure to ask their Catania tour guide for tips on the town’s ancient ruins, or the nearby UNESCO town of Val di Noto—where some of Europe’s most magnificent baroque buildings still pepper the streets. Foodies will want to seek out the Catanese specialities that are served en masse from the eateries; the arancino meat and veg rice; the super-fresh seafood; the famed cannolo pastries.