Mt Etna

Mt Etna is a large and active stratovolcano lying in the east of Sicily, north of Catania. With an altitude of 3329m it is Europe's tallest volcano. Mt Etna is accessible by a road with ends at the Rifugio Sapienza hotel at 1900m altitude. With a cablecar visitors can reach an altitude of 2500m. To proceed further from there a guide is necessary. In winter Mt Etna is covered with snow and is a skiing area. Eruptions of different types have been occuring relatively frequently. The most destructive eruption in historic times took place in 1669 and destroyed 10 villages before stopping in front of Catania.