Official language: Italian
Time zone: UTC+2
(summer),
UTC+1
(winter)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
A symbol of the city is a sculpture “u Liotru”. It was created in the 18th century, is situated on Piazza Duomo and depicts an elephant, the animal which played an important role in the city’s history, especially in its military part.
The main city’s street goes from an old port to the foot of Mount Etna. It was cobbled with pieces of lava and in its lower part it is pedestrian-only. It has many shops and restaurants.
In Catania visit a fish market (Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto), where from early morning fishermen sell their catch. Other worth visiting market is Fiera di Catania (Piazza Carlo Alberto).
Catania - one of the biggest Italian cities, the second biggest one in Sicily, is located on the eastern shore of the island, by the Ionic sea. It was many times destroyed by earthquakes and eruptions of volcanic Mount Etna, at the foot of which, it was founded. In its history the city was rebuilt seven times. The baroque architecture of Catania is standing out due to use of black volcano stone.
Catania is very well connected. It has a marine port, it lies close to the junction of the Sicilian highway, there is an airport operating near. Aeroporto di Catania-Fontanarossa is the most popular airport in Sicily, it served around 8 million passengers in 2016. It is located four kilometres in the south-west direction from Catania. You can get there by bus, that goes to and from the city every half an hour.
Cuisine of Catania is characterized by strong Sicilian influences. One of the most known dishes is Pasta alla Norma, pasta penne with tomato sauce, eggplant and salty ricotta. Popular dessert is granita, something similar to sorbet, but a bit lighter. Among fruits typical for the region there are red oranges.
In the city you will find plenty of restaurants popular among tourists and citizens. For typical Italian, sweet breakfast you can go to do Pasticceria Savia at Via Etnea, 300/302/304. Corte dei Biscari at Via Porticello 5 is a spot worth visiting to order a fish, according to recommendations. If you fancy some Mediterranean cuisine and seafood, try Hosteria del Panda at Viale della Liberta' 129. When you have enough of pizzas and pastas, we recommend a visit at Feelin' Good at Via Carlo Felice Gambino 17, where apart from Italian cuisine, you can order also tasty burgers.