Europe's highest active volcano, between craters, lava and vineyards
With its 3,300 metres or so, varying with each eruption, Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its eruptions, from the summit craters or from fissures on the flanks, have shaped the landscape and the life of eastern Sicily for thousands of years.
The southern side is reached from Nicolosi, up to the Rifugio Sapienza at about 1,900 metres, among the extinct Silvestri craters, which you can walk around. From there a cable car and 4x4 vehicles climb to about 2,900 metres, and with authorised volcanological guides you can approach the summit craters when activity allows. The northern side, from Piano Provenzana, offers lava flows, pine and birch forests and lava tube caves. On the lower slopes, the volcanic soil produces excellent Etna DOC wines.
Tip: bring warm clothes and good shoes even in summer, as it is cold at altitude; check the activity bulletins, because access to the summit area changes with eruptions.
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