1000 Places to See Before You Die 9 - Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy

In 2005 I was Interrailing through Western Europe, and my friend and I dedicated almost an entire month to Italy. We had both studied Italian for 3 years in high school, so this was a good opportunity to practice the language and soak up some of the culture and history first hand. 

During the trip we went to Sicily, and no trip to this island is complete without a visit to Mount Etna, the volcano that watches over the area. We went on a guided tour that included the bus trip and two guides to show us around. We drove up as far as we could, but then we hiked the rest of the way. This was pretty physically demanding, as far as I remember, as it was very hot, the terrain was steep and the ground consisted of soft, black volcanic sand that you sank into, making it arduous to walk. We hiked as far as a lookout point over a lava valley, where the view consisted of black sand and lava formations. Coming back down we visited a cave, where lava runs through each time the volcano erupts. Which it does fairly often. Last time was just this February! It is quite a special feeling, walking on an active volcano, and an experience that should not be missed. 

Mount Etna is situated 30 km north of the city of Catania on the east coast of Sicily. As far as I recall, it was fairly easy to find a day trip to the volcano. Just ask around at your hostel or hotel and someone should be able to point you in the right direction, if your place of accommodation doesn’t arrange trips themselves. 

The town of Catania is a lovely place, although we did have some trouble getting there. Our Interrail passes were only good for “regional” trains (the slow ones) and sometimes those trains didn’t go where we wanted to go. In that case you can buy additions to your ticket and be allowed on the fancy trains. However there was often a lot of confusion as to whether these additions were needed or not, some would say yes, some no, and usually the no-votes had the last say. This resulted in us sprinting around the train station in Messina trying to buy tickets before our train to Catania left without us. We even had our full kit with us, because we didn’t dare leave it on the train in case we missed it. So after we bought tickets for 2 euros, sprinted back to the train (which of course didn’t leave for another 15 minutes) and then had to sit in the hall by the toilets, I was not in my best mood! But Catania and Mt. Etna still left a good impression on me, and it is well worth a visit. The town itself is perhaps not the most happening place, as far as I remember, but there are a few sights to see, some nice shopping and fresh seafood (for those of you who like that!). You can also try the Sicilian speciality ice cream in a bun (instead of a cone). 

All facts from "1000 Places to See Before You Die" by Patricia Schultz