Winter events in Catania: 5 good reasons for visiting the ”Town of Mount Etna” during the coldest season.

Are you thinking of taking a little break travelling on wintertime, with friends, family or your partner? Maybe you are missing the carefree joy of summer vacation or just want experience something special during Christmas’ vacation or merely longing a romantic week-end in Sicily? Catania could be the ideal destination for you. Thanks to the increasing large offer of low-cost flights and our fairly mild climate, the Elephant’s Town deserves to be visited even in winter. You will find out that the Sicilian heart of Etna City is still pulsing even in coldest season! Here for you, the list of thing to do, events and activities on wintertime, tested by our staff personally.

• Beer and Movida in Catania: a perfect idea for a week-end with friends, the Beer Festival of home brewery in the last week of November (with a repeat on May) and in a few years it has become an important showcase for local producers. Enjoying a pint of good ale with some street food Sicilian specialities, it is in order!

But the festival is not the only event on winter 2018. Generally, Catania is a young city for young and lively people, plenty of pubs, nightclubs, evenings and concerts for any taste and kind of music: have a look at websites such as Cataniatoday.it and discover how and what to do in Catania by night and … let’s pack your bags!

 

 

• The exhibits of the Impressionists and Salvador Dalì, are two of the most awaited happening events for winter. The first, at Palazzo della Cultura, is a 200 works collection, retracing the history of Impressionism since the beginning till the art revolutionary advent of Picasso. The most comprehensive exhibition ever before achieved in Italy relevant this art movement.

The second, shows pictures and artworks; a journey through the Catalan Genius’ life, discovering the elements that marked out and inspired his imagination.

 

• Christmas traditions: Christmas markets, nativity scenes and pageants, the Nativity play in Forza d’Agrò (Me) and the cribs of Caltagirone. The tradition of Christmas markets is also taking hold in Catania (but, of course, revised in Sicilian style), animating the places and the cloisters of the historical heart of Catania between November and December, meantime the unique “ciauru” (the“fragrance”, in Sicilian dialect) of nougats and pancakes is spreading out in the air.

But the very and indissoluble Sicilian tradition is the “Crib”: the little ones are certainly fascinated by the living Nativity Play of Forza d’Agrò which can be visited from 26^th December till 06^th January.

 

 

This enchanting Medieval village, sited in the vicinity of the most famous Taormina, deserves a stroll to admire its breath-taking panorama over the east coast to Catania and its excellent local cuisine (it’s the word of Catanesi!).

 

The tradition of pottery and ceramic artistic cribs of Caltagirone is really ancient – dating back the 1600s – a lot of different materials were used to realize the cribs: wood, ivory, terracotta, bone, coral, wax but also silver and gold. They represented the typical Sicilian countryside peasant life that has changed over time.

 

• The Mount Etna in winter: even if the daylight is limited compared with summertime, the spectacular view of the snow-capped Etna peak is an experience to be done, at least, once in your life. The Etna cableway is equipped for winter excursions to be continued by snow-cat. You will also be provided with snowshoes. What are you waiting for? Grab your items and coats: we will handle everything for you!

 

• The Bellini Opera House and Teatro Stabile: this is the ideal time of emotion in enjoying a stage-show, ballet, concert, Opera and Nativity plays. So, choose the event you feel in harmony… we dare say… with your strings! If you are curious and you would like visiting the inside of Teatro Massimo Bellini or making a reservation for a performance, just see the timetable on website Facebook or ask our staff at the reception desk to call the box office for you.

And… one more reason to decide visiting our town Catania and its surroundings, it’s our special offer for you: book your stay directly with us for the season; you will get a 5% rebate from rack rate and a further discount for the car parking, which is definitively a convenient service for guests who are looking for a B&B in Catania city centre as start point of your winter holiday in Sicily.