mount etna and taormina cruises via messina

Messina is the "Gate of Sicily”. Entering the homonymous Strait on an MSC Cruise and leaving the "Continent" behind, is like travelling into a new land, abundant in history, art and culture, the result of the fruitful passage of different peoples.

An MSC Mediterranean Cruise will take you to visit a great, energetic city that, following numerous historical events and major natural disasters has, over time, managed to restore entire neighbourhoods and elements of its historical heritage that appeared forever lost.

An MSC Excursion will take you to the Messina Cathedral, the undisputed symbol of the city cherished by all its residents. The restoration of the Norman-style cathedral that honours Santa Maria Assunta has brought to light some of the oldest features, giving visitors a spectacle of the interior frescoes, paintings, but most importantly the second largest organ in Italy. The bell tower holds the most complex mechanical-astronomical clock in the world.

Around Messina, there are several more attractions to discover. The first and most spectacular is undoubtedly Mount Etna. Another MSC Excursion will take you to the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano with its 40 km of external diameter and over 3300 m of altitude. Etna is inserted in a vast natural park with a scenery that will display an almost lunar landscape, transformed over the centuries by the continuous eruptions of its four craters.

You will be able to relive the glories of the ancient Greek-Roman Theatre of Taormina, another attraction to be discovered thanks to an MSC Excursion. Built during the 3rd century BC on the summit of Monte Tauro, in addition to the spectacular view of the Ionian, the Calabrian and Sicilian coasts, and the omnipresent Mount Etna, it has perfect acoustics and a capacity of 4,500 seats on a flight of steps carved into the rock. A unique building that still holds significant international events.