Location: Messina
Top Things to do in Messina
The 10 Best Points of Interest & Landmarks in Messina, Sicily
At Sicily’s northeast tip, Messina is the first city being kicked by mainland Italy’s boot, just three miles across the Strait of Messina. It's a main port of entry for visitors via hydrofoils and ferries. Trains board the ferry, too, before continuing service. The 12th-century Norman cathedral, rebuilt after a 1908 earthquake destroyed it and much of the town, is the most famous attraction.
Restaurants in Messina
1. Labirinto di Arianna
2. Fontana di Orione
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 218 reviews
Reviewed By CarolinaE5247ZH - Highlands, United States
I never thought I would visit such a wonderful place and have this experience. Clear waters rushed from the fountain but what I noticed besides the great work of art were the birds that sat upon it that only made it more natural and lovely and all the people gathered around it. All the while seeing this listening to Ave Maria played over the crowd of people. It is located in a piazza with a clock tower which is animated and beautiful and an old church with paintings and sculptures. All together it was perfect. I'm happy I was able to visit this beautiful place.
3. Bell Tower and Astronomical Clock (Orologio Astronomico)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,439 reviews
Reviewed By stewartc640 - Chatham, United Kingdom
We passed the Messina cathedral Bell tower whilst on a one day stopover in Messina. We were doing a self-guided walking tour armed with a fairly basic tourist map and had just arrived in the port. The bell tower and its associated cathedral sits in the reasonably spacious ‘Piazza del Duomo di Messina’ just inland from where the cruise ship docked. It is known for its animation occurring when the clock strikes particularly at 12 noon. Unfortunately, this is the time our ship docked so we missed what we have been told is quite a sight. We did get to see a shorter animation at one o’clock though. The bell tower is separate from the cathedral, and had ‘golden’ statues on various levels as well as other parts of the animation. The Piazza is quite busy and there are many sightseeing tours for tourists departing from here either on busses or ‘Dotto’ trains. There are also some souvenir shops and street traders here where tourists can buy mementoes of their visit to Messina, we tend to purchase porcelain thimbles on our travels and these were available here too.
4. Tempio Votivo di Cristo Re
5. San Marco D'alunzio
6. La Vara
7. Basilica Santuario S.Antonio
8. Faro di Capo Peloro
9. Abbazia di San Filippo Fragala
10. Monument to Russian Sailors, Heroes of Mercy and Self-Sacrifice
TAGS
