Rifugio Sapienza

On the territory of the municipality of Nicolosi, at an altitude of 1910 meters above sea level, there is a tourist and sports station, which officially bears the name Nicolosi Nord - Etna Sud, but is better known as Rifugio Sapienza. This small village is the most popular starting point for visiting Mount Etna Nature Park. More than a million tourists visit here every year. There is an asphalt road leading to the village from the city of Catania and there is a regular bus, there is a large parking lot for private transport. The cable car lifts tourists to an altitude of 2,500 meters, from where special Unimog off-road buses can take them to the safe zone of the upper craters. Here you will be met by professional guides who will lead you along a very picturesque trail along the extinct craters. You can walk up to this point for free, if you have the appropriate physical fitness. It is possible to climb to the existing craters only as part of special groups with appropriate equipment, where you need to register in advance. The volcano's safe zone is easily accessible until late autumn, but in winter heavy snowfalls become an obstacle even for Uniformed personnel. However, even at this time there are guided tours on snowmobiles. In winter, mountain skiers mostly come to Nikolosi Nord. There are about 6.3 km of trails of varying difficulty. Skiing here is unique in that the trails run through a treeless "lunar" landscape of frozen lava, and from the top there is a panoramic view of the Ionian Sea and the Gulf of Katana. Tourists can enjoy souvenir shops, restaurants, several hotels, as well as the inactive side craters of Silvestri, which are very close.

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