Attractions and Places To See around Montalbano Elicona - Top 20

The Santa Maria del Bosco refuge is easy to reach and is equipped with fresh drinking water, toilets, BBQ sites, firewood, a room always open with a fireplace and wooden bunk beds, camping sites, swings and a football pitch.

The current Basilica Sanctuary was built recently (1957-1979), but the history surrounding the cult is much older, dating back to the late eighth and early ninth centuries. A ship coming from the East, loaded with goods, including a statue of the Virgin Mary that had escaped iconoclastic persecution, was forced to dock by a violent storm. The sailors were forced to disembark, but the ship remained motionless. So the occupants decided to lighten the load, leaving the chest containing the statue of the Madonna Bruna on shore, among other items. The ship set sail again and continued its journey. Source: https://santuariotindari.it/

The rocky pyramid of Rocca di Novara ("Matterhorn of Sicily") seems inaccessible...as a landmark, it can even be seen from Mount Etna! This rocky promontory has a well-maintained trail (adequately marked with red dots), making it never too difficult to climb. (Caution: Surefootedness, a head for heights, and good weather are essential!!) From the summit plateau (large metal cross with the silhouette of Christ), there is a magnificent view of the coast, the mountain villages in the hinterland of Milazzo, and the Peloritani Mountains. The starting point is a picnic area on the SS185 (which will likely be impassable from the south for some time to come due to a landslide). There are a few parking spaces along the roadside; for off-road vehicles, you can also drive up to the first bend of the picnic area. A fantastic mountain experience - and afterwards, head to the café in Novara d. Sicily -> Bar S. Niecola!

A work of art made of gold and colors. But I especially like the view. There are many souvenir shops, bars and a restaurant here.

The bivouac is certainly among the most beautiful in all of Sicily. Inside there is, among other things, a football field, a bowling green, electrical socket, toilet, as well as having several water points and connection to the Vodafone network. Also noteworthy is the excellent level of cleanliness and maintenance of the entire area. The only flaw for me is that it is located right on the path of the Via Francigena Normanna. I would have preferred a more isolated/further from the trail site.

It is perhaps the most beautiful bivouac ever seen in Sicily. Equipped with several drinking fountains, play area, football pitches and bowling greens, Vodafone internet connection available, electrical socket, toilet. The whole area is in excellent condition. The only flaw for me is that it is located right on the path of the Via Francigena Normanna, I prefer greater isolation.

Known as "the quastallum" by the Arabs, Castiglione di Sicilia stands on a hill between the Alcantara valley and the Etna park, offering breathtaking landscapes with orchards and lava flows. It has a history dominated by the Arabs and subsequently by the Normans and Swabians. The village is known for its honors and its beauty, recognized with a regional decree in 1994. The castle of Lauria, which dominates the town, was born as a defensive fortress for the city; well built as it was, on the sandstone rock, and surrounded by powerful defensive walls, it constituted a perfect military defense both inland and throughout the rest of the Alcantara valley. From the start of your visit to Castiglione di Sicilia, it will not be difficult for you to notice how this village is closely linked to the medieval period, both for the narrow streets that characterize it and for the presence of a castle on top of a hill ' of stronghold.

Hidden in the hills of the Alcantara valley, the Cuba, or church of Santa Domenica, is a fascinating mystery of the past. Its construction, estimated between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, makes it an authentic historical gem. Immersed in the countryside three kilometers from the town centre, it caresses the banks of the Alcantara river. The architectural structure, with its Greek cross plan supported by four pillars, hides an enigma: three different roofs, an apse with a hollow vault, side naves with barrel vaults and a spherical dome with singular construction mastery. Traces of frescoes testify to its ancient internal beauty. The façade, a reference to the Basilian chapels, offers the unusual spectacle of an apse facing east and a central door that opens towards the west. Beyond its conventional age, some experts put forward the hypothesis of a construction in periods subsequent to the Byzantine era, adding a touch of mystery. Over the centuries, writers, scholars and travelers have told stories of this "Cuba" in the countryside, next to the village of Castiglione di Sicilia. Even today, Cuba attracts scholars and university students, eager to reveal the secrets of its architecture and history. In 1900 it was recognized as a monument of national interest and a FAI asset. Property of the Municipality, it is open to visitors, ready to explore this pearl of the past (for further information and visits, simply contact the numbers 800010552 or 0942980222).