Mount Etna

Mount Etna, standing at roughly 3,400 meters, is Europe's highest active volcano, rising dramatically from the Sicilian plain behind Catania. Greek colonists interpreted its eruptions as the forge of Hephaestus, and written records of its activity stretch back to the 5th century BC — more than 200 eruptions documented in total. In June 2013 UNESCO inscribed Etna as a Natural World Heritage Site, recognising its exceptional volcanic diversity: lava fields, calderas, ash cones, and lava caves ranging from sea level to near the summit. The hardened basalt and pikrobasalt flows create an otherworldly landscape that shifts from endemic scrub vegetation at mid-elevation to bare, glittering lava rock near the craters. Visitors reach the upper slopes via cable car and off-road vehicles; experienced hikers can summit for panoramic views across the Mediterranean and the Aeolian Islands, while ski lifts on the northern flank make Etna one of the few places in the world where you can ski on an active volcano.