Catania

The main city of Sicily's east coast, in the shadows of Mt. Etna, doesn't invite lingering

Catania has been around since the Sikel days, and did time as a Greek and a Roman provincial capital.

However, today it's a big industrial city of few charms but a lot of tourist traffic—often the easiest way to get from point A to point B in eastern Sicily is to go through Catania.

Catania's lackluster modernity is thanks mainly to its big, bad neighbor Mt. Etna, the worst of whose periodic eruptions have destroyed the city on several occasions.

There's no compelling reason to visit Catania on purpose, really—though there are some sights to keep you occupied when you're passing through.

However, if you find yourself stuck in town or routing yourself through (several low-cost airlines fly in to the Catania airport, which is far more convenient than Palermo for getting to Siracusa or Taormina), here are the details of the many rail and bus connections, plus a few sights to pass the time.

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