Circumetnea ... Mount Etna's Little Railway

Ancient Lava Flows and a Snowy Mount Etna
When you drive through the towns on the slopes of Mount Etna you might find yourself having to stop at many railway crossings most of which are operated by hand, the little train that comes tumbling past is the Ferrovia Circumetnea train which has been going around Etna since 1895.

The Circumetnea is a narrow gauge railway of 110 km that starts in Catania and ends in Riposto, the railway circumnavigates Mount Etna. It passes through scenic and rural landscapes with Etna's summit forever visible throughout your journey. It’s the perfect alternative way to enjoy Mount Etna's beauty.

The 110 km long route climbs up the slopes of the volcano showing its passengers onboard the beautiful scenery of Mount Etna, its citrus orchards, valleys and streams, lava flows, small towns and breath taking countryside.

The train leaves the station of Catania-Borgo Circumetnea on Via Caronda and proceeds towards the Western side of Etna, to Misterbianco through citrus groves, olive groves and crops of prickly pear cacti. The first stops are at Paterno, Biancavilla and Adrano, where you find yourself amongst pistachio trees and ancient lava flows. At Paterno you will find a medieval castle and in Adrano an ancient Saracen bridge.

The Circumetnea also stops at Bronte “the City of Pistachios” which is also well known for Castello Nelson which was once the home of Admiral Lord Nelson which has a castle and beautiful gardens. Search our blog archive in February 2015 for our post “Castello Nelson” and find out how we had the whole of Nelsons Castle to ourselves on our visit.

The journey continues on to Maletto which is well known for its cultivation of strawberries, there is a festival here in June dedicated to this delicious summer fruit.



At Randazzo you can visit the medieval town which boasts wonderful architecture, the Cathedral of Santa Maria is well worth a visit for its Gothic Catalan structure. After Randazzo the journey starts its descent along the Alcantara valley and its river, through Etna’s finest vineyards. The next stop is at Linguaglossa which is known as the door to the North side of Etna, the train also passes through the towns of Mascali and Giarre before continuing on to Riposto, known as the Tourist Port of Etna, where the train comes to the end of its journey. At Risposto you can take a bus or train to Catania or Taormina/Giardini Naxos.

The entire trip is a journey lasting about three hours. You can buy a round trip ticket and go up and down on the same day from every station.

The whole trip is magical with an abundance of photo opportunities which will create Insta-envy from your Instagram followers. It is a relaxing inexpensive way to spend the day and you may even find the locals waving at you as the train passes by.

If you love wine tours 'The Train of the Wines of Etna' is a unique way to experience wine tasting in Sicily. By travelling the slopes of Etna by the Ferrovia Circumetnea and then taking the 'Wine Bus' you can visit the "Strade del Vino dell'Etna" (the roads of Etna's wines) and freely discover the most beautiful wine cellars of Etna. 

Visit www.circumetnea.it for more information and timetables.
For the Train of the Wines of Etna visit

Photo Gallery 

Mount Etna seen from Bronte

Castello Nelson

Cathedral of Santa Maria, Randazzo

Saracen Bridge, Adrano

Traffic Jam, Randazzo

Alcantara River

Mount Etna 

abundance of Citrus Groves

Vineyards of Mount Etna

Ancient Lava Flows



Thank you for following 
WHITE ALMOND
SICILY BLOGSPOT
Follow me on Facebook
for NEW Blog updates and all things Sicilian
www.facebook.com/whitealmondprivatesicily/

You can also follow me on
Twitter, Instagram, Google +, Linkedin and Pinterest

for Travel Advice and Recommendations


Love Sarah x


Popular posts from this blog

The Sicilian Day of the Dead

Image
The Day of the Dead is most well known as the Mexican holiday called 'Día de Muertos'.  This holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and to help support their spiritual journey. In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the same as our fascinating Puppet Theatres that we have in Sicily who are also on this list. In recent years the festival has moved out of cemeteries and is now celebrated in the form of parties and parades including the annual Day of the Dead parade.  However have you heard about the Sicilian Day of the Dead? The Sicilian Day of The Dead or in Sicilian, 'U Juornu re Muorti' is celebrated on the 2nd November. The history of this festival goes way back to the 7th Century and it was traditionally a day to honour all the world's Saints. All Saints Day known as 'Ognissanti' in Italy falls on Nov
Read more

Forza d'Agro

Image
In the Godfather Part I, when Michael Corleone (Al  Pacino) and his two bodyguards are walking in the hills, they see a picturesque village in the distance, they point and remark “Corleone”. The town in the distance is in fact Forza d' Agro a short drive from Taormina. Forza d’Agro is an ancient hill-top town and is a warren of narrow streets and tiny houses leading up to a ruined Norman castle. Most of the stone paved lanes here are impassable by cars. The town was also used as a filming location for The Godfather Part II and III. In the opening scene of The Godfather Part II, following the assassination of young Vito Corleone’s father, the funeral procession was shot in the dry riverbed below Forza d’Agro, Michael’s older brother is assassinated in this scene after being found hiding in the hills. Following this his mother is also brutally murdered, and so being the only surviving male, Vito Corleone must escape Sicily and with the help of local residents he c
Read more

25 Sicilian Myths and Legends

Image
Sicily is a place full of myths and legends and there are many stories associated with the island. From the stories of nymphs and gods from Greek and Roman mythology to tragic love stories from an exotic era when the island was under Arabic, Norman and Spanish rule. Some stories have happy endings and some not so happy endings.  What is a legend? Legends are stories which are thought to be based on true events but have developed fictional elements that have deep significance to the culture from which they originate. For example historians claim that King Arthur really existed but his existence is shrouded in different legends, such as is his final resting place on Mount Etna?  What is a myth? Myths are stories derived from cultural traditions or legends most of which have a deep symbolic meaning and usually involve a lesson that will be helpful to the listener or reader. Mythical characters are often non-human in some form or related to a god or supernatural being, often set in ancient
Read more