During this 2,5-hour small group shore excursion you will discover Messina and taste scrumtious Sicilian food and wines. With your informative English speaking local guide you will explore this amazing ancient city, learn about Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Byzantine and Spanish heritage, see the most important sights of Messina, and hear stories about its fascinating, sometimes tragic history, and visit two great venues where you will enjoy fresh organic Sicilian food and wines. Small group insures personal attention from your friendly guide. Meet your guide in the very heart of Messina - at the Cathedral Square, within a short walking distance from the port of Messina. Here you will see this great Cathedral with its amazing Byzantine mosaics, the largest astronomical clock in the world - the most complex mechanism. Listening to the guide's fascinating stories of Messina and its food and wine culture, you then will follow to an excellent wine bar, most famous among locals, where you will taste traditional Sicilian food - locally produced organic cheeses, salami, prosciutto, bruschettas, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh home-made bread with 3 glasses of Sicilian DOC red and white wines. Then you will continue to walk and see the Church of Annunziata dei Catalani - an excellent monument of Norman-Arab age, the statue of John of Austria admiral, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi of 13th century - the oldest church in Messina, see the Mountain of Mercy, Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II, and other interesting points of Messina. It's time to taste famous Sicilian desserts. At the most famous pasticceria of Messina you will taste Sicilian dolce - original cannoli, torrone, pistacchio cream with Sicilian liquors and sweet wines - limoncello, amaro and almond wine. The tour will end in the heart of Messina within a short walking distance to the Port of Messina.