Caltagirone is famous for the production of hand-made ceramics, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. Production of grapes, olives and peaches is also typical for this region.

In the city you can visit Museum of Pottery which is dedicated to the history of pottery, where you can see a collection of ancient and modern pottery and terra-cotta, dating back to the Magna Grecia period.

The biggest attraction of the city is 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. The speciality is that each stair is decorated with different hand-made ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.

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During the summer there are lots of concerts in Caltagirone, theater performances and dance celebrations, but the most important event is on 24 and 25 July each year called La Luminaria – feast of San Giacomo, saint patron of the city. The staircase is illuminated with candles of different colours arranged in order to reconstruct an artistic drawing of several tens of meters.

During the winter Caltagirone is much more picturesque thanks to the temperature differences between day and night, that often rise to a dense fog, familiarly called “A Paisana“.

The historical center of Caltagirone extends along two main streets: Via Roma and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Here you can see beautiful baroque buildings, including Palazzo Gravina, and the norman Basilica di San Giacomo which houses precious works of art.

However the city offers much more and it really worth to see it.

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Official language is Greek, which used Greek alphabet. It is the oldest still in use alphabet in Europe (since the 8th century BC). Majority of Greeks speak also English and German.

If you love nature and do not like excessive heat, the ideal time for you to visit Greece is June (or May, but the sea is still quite cold) or September and October. The water temperature is pleasant and it is also possible to plan your trips and hiking. However the main tourist season in Greece is July and August.

Greek cuisine
Greek cuisine is typically Mediterranean, and famous worldwide. The food must not miss olive oil, fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs and seafood. Greek Restaurants are called taverns.

Hors-d’oeuvre
Everyone will certainly be surprised by a number of appetizers, which mostly consists of various salads, spreads or light sauces. The most famous are the tzatziki appetizer, or roasted peppers. Tzatziki is a spread made ​​of thick Greek yogurt, which is often from sheep’s milk, shredded cucumbers, garlic, olive oil and salt. Tzatziki spread is usually served chilled with Arab bread or as a flavoring for food. Greek salads of fresh vegetables are excellent. Another interesting appetizer is dolmades, which are young leaves of cabbage, filled by rice, pine nuts and minced meat.

Main Dishes
Very popular local delicacy is gyros. Another popular delicacy is grilled souvlaki. If you do not like gilled meat, be sure to taste musaka. Muska are slices of eggplant baked with minced lamb, onions, tomatoes which is covered with béchamel sauce. Among the most popular vegetarian dishes you can find saganaki, which is a fried slice of feta cheese coated in bread crumbs.

Desserts
After the meal it is definitely a good idea to taste some desserts such as baklava, galaktoboureko.

Alcohol
Greece offers a wide range of delicious wines. Greek favorite drink is Metaxa, which is a good cognac. The local traditional drinks include Ouzo.

Greek Islands
Greek Islands, which are more than 2000, will welcome you with their unique culture (pure white houses with blue shutters and roofs), its history and pure nature, remote from the industry.

The most famous islands of Greece include Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodos, Samos, Kos, Lesbos.

Greek cities
Among the most important and best Greek cities you can find such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Patras, Sparta, Heraklion and Corinth.

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