Catania

Dominated by Mount Etna, Catania is the second city of Sicily, after Palermo, and has an intriguing history. Devastated by a particularly destructive eruption of Etna in 1669, it was then damaged by a serious earthquake in 1693. Evidence points to man’s presence here in the Bronze Age and since that time other influences include those of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, Spanish, and Austrians. Fascinating archaeological remains that you will see include two Roman amphitheatres which survived the devastation, but the majority of the city reflects the Baroque influence, in recognition of which Catania has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of the wide avenues and majestic palaces were constructed in the 18th century using the gvolcanic stone which is characteristic of the area.

Explore the city

From Classical to Baroque

From Classical to Baroque

Central Catania is easy to explore on foot and your hotel is right in the centre, just a couple of streets away from the Piazza del Duomo, a good place to start. Rebuilt by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini in the early 18th century, the square is surrounded by elegant buildings and features the famous Elephant Fountain – 'u Liotru', the symbol of Catania, carved out of lava and supporting an Egyptian obelisk.

Examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture abound, such as the splendid Teatro Massimo Bellini and the more modern parts of the cathedral.

There are two wonderful amphitheatres from the Classical era too. The Greek/Roman theatre and Odeon are still in amazingly good condition.

Near the Piazza del Duomo, Catania’s noisy open-air food market is an experience! Best visited early in the day, the medieval warren of narrow streets surrounds the busy pescheria fish market (described by the TV chef Rick Stein as the 'best fish market in the world'), and there are also lanes of vegetable and fruit stalls. There are some good lunchtime trattorie in this area, too, where you could try spaghetti alla Norma, cooked with tomato and aubergines.

Also worth visiting is the fabulously intact, 13th-century Ursino Castle, now home to the Catania Civico Museum and a gallery of local art. When completed, it stood on a cliff overlooking the sea, but lava from a volcanic eruption created a new mass of land between it and the sea, and it is now a kilometre inland – a somewhat incongruous-looking setting.
Beyond the City

Take a trip on the Circumetnea

Take a trip on the Circumetnea

By way of a change, leave the city behind and take a trip on the Circumetnea, a small-gauge railway that runs for 110 km (68 miles) from Catania round the base of Mount Etna, reaching a height of 976 metres above sea level before descending to rejoin the coast.

Prices

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Prices for first-named hotel (£ per person based on 2 sharing)

Add-on price

Il Principe Hotel, 2 nights: 01 March 2021 - 30 November 2021 & 01 March 2022 - 30 November 2022

Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

Starting	Add on 2 nights	Single supplement
1 - 30 Mar 2021	£174	£76
1 Apr - 30 Jun 2021	£188	£90
1 Jul - 31 Aug 2021	£174	£76
1 Sep - 28 Nov 2021	£188	£90
1 - 30 Mar 2022	£184	£80
1 Apr - 30 Jun 2022	£196	£92
1 Jul - 31 Aug 2022	£184	£80
1 Sep - 28 Nov 2022	£196	£92

Includes accommodation and meals as described. No travel is included as it is assumed that you are travelling via the city as part of your main Inntravel holiday.

If you are flying via a different airport and would like us to arrange connecting travel, please contact us for a quotation.

Room upgrades & extra nights for first hotel

Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

Il Principe, Catania
Deluxe: 01 Mar - 30 Nov 2021	£12
Deluxe: 01 Mar - 30 Nov 2022	£15
Suite: 01 Mar - 30 Nov 2021	£74
Suite: 01 Mar - 30 Nov 2022	£74
Superior: 01 Mar - 30 Nov 2021	£8
Superior: 01 Mar - 30 Nov 2022	£6

Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

Il Principe, Catania (B&B)	Double room	Single room
01 Mar - 31 Mar 2021	£76	£110
01 Apr - 30 Jun 2021	£82	£122
01 Jul - 31 Aug 2021	£76	£110
01 Sep - 30 Nov 2021	£82	£122
01 Mar - 31 Mar 2022	£80	£116
01 Apr - 30 Jun 2022	£85	£127
01 Jul - 31 Aug 2022	£80	£116
01 Sep - 30 Nov 2022	£85	£127

Getting to the city centre

This information is for guidance only; no travel is included in our prices and you should pay locally for your chosen option.

For more information about the airport, visit the Catania airport website.

Getting between Catania airport and the city (4.3km):

Public transport	Approx. duration	Frequency
Bus	25 minutes	every 20 minutes

Other options	Approx. duration	Approx. cost
Taxi	15 minutes	20-30€

Catania City Add-On

Holiday information

Catania

Sightseeing

Accommodation