Reggio Calabria
Home of the Riace Bronzes, with the most beautiful kilometre in Italy along its seafront.
About Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria guards the Strait of Messina, so close to Sicily you can almost touch it. The city's crown jewels are the Riace Bronzes—two magnificent 5th-century BC Greek warrior statues pulled from the sea in 1972, now displayed in the National Museum of Magna Graecia. The lungomare Falcomatà, famously called 'the most beautiful kilometre in Italy' by D'Annunzio, offers mesmerising views of Sicily, Etna, and the shimmering Fata Morgana mirage phenomenon. Rebuilt after the devastating 1908 earthquake, Reggio is a surprisingly elegant Art Nouveau city with excellent restaurants specialising in swordfish, bergamot, and the city's beloved granita.
Best Time to Visit
April to October. Summer offers warm Strait swimming and evening passeggiata on the lungomare. Spring and autumn are ideal for museum visits and the surrounding Aspromonte park.
Local Tips
- Meet the Riace Bronzes.
These two Greek warrior statues are among the most important bronzes ever found. A local will time your museum visit to avoid crowds and explain why these sculptures changed art history.
- Watch for the Fata Morgana.
On certain days, a mirage makes Sicily appear to float above the water or stretch into fairy-tale castles. A local knows the weather conditions and the best spots along the lungomare to witness this rare phenomenon.
- Taste bergamot at the source.
90% of the world's bergamot grows on the slopes above Reggio. A local can arrange a visit to a bergamot grove, a tasting of bergamot liqueur, and the best granita di bergamotto in the city.