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Brooding Mount Etna dominates the landscape of eastern Sicily, its snow-capped peak often emitting smoke or spewing molten lava against a clear blue sky. It’s one of the world's most active volcanoes, yet almost a quarter of Sicily's population live on its slopes or at its foot.

The mineral-rich soil provides ideal conditions for agriculture and the combination of dramatic landscapes and fine food and wines makes it a rewarding place to visit. You'll also get a host of Baroque architecture, carved from volcanic rock, in nearby Catania, Sicily's second largest city, a place that reflects the intense energy of the mountain looming above it.

Mount Etna dominates Sicily’s skyline. Standing on its desolate (and, admittedly, often freezing) summit is an experience not quite of this world. Contrast that with a more sedate visit to one of the wineries that populate the volcano’s fertile lower slopes.

Things to see and do at Mount Etna

Catania

Vibrant, youthful and gritty, Catania was founded in the 8th century BC and was an important political and cultural hub. Its proximity to tempestuous Mount Etna saw it consumed by lava on several occasions and completely destroyed in the 17th century. Rebuilt in lavish Baroque style, the historic core is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many ornate palazzi (palaces) and churches.

However, you'll get a more authentic feel for local character at La Pescheria, the daily fish market. Here, boisterous traders vie for attention and locals pick their way through stalls piled high with sardines, shellfish and squid. The laneways nearby are lined with stalls laden with luscious-looking fruit and vegetables — the pay-off of risking farming on the slopes of a volcano.

Wine tasting

The rich volcanic soils of Mount Etna make the region ideal for wine production and one of the joys of a visit is wandering around a local winery, learning about the long history of viticulture here and sampling some of the fine vintages that have come from the area. A tasting lunch offers the chance to pair some of the wines with the region's fine produce, an inviting prospect after a trip up the volcano itself.

Viticulture here goes back to prehistoric times and plays a large part in the mythology of the region. Vines flourish in the mineral-rich soil, while the mountain's diverse microclimates and the vineyards' differing elevations produce complex, high-quality wines with a distinct character.

4x4 tours

One of the best ways to explore Mount Etna is on a 4x4 tour, which will allow you to get to the very top of the mountain, learning about the geology of the area and the people who choose to live here en route.

The igneous-rock villages, vineyards, chestnut groves and pine forests of the lower slopes soon give way to lichen and broom and eventually to the bare, black rock and ash of the summit. Stopping to examine old lava flows and craters, then taking a cable-car to the mountain's peak, offers both remarkable views over the surrounding area and the chance to walk along the rim of an active volcano.