This Is Italy
Need some extra vitamin D? Holidu has researched the sunniest cities in Europe. And guess what? Some of the sunniest European cities are in Italy. The Italian top 3 is in Sicily.
Not surprisingly, the southern European countries of Spain, Italy and France all have cities in the top 10. The most sunny cities (6 out of 10) can be found in (southern) Spain, but Italy does with 3 cities above 340 solar fun for hours too.
1. Catania, Sicily – 347 hours of sunshine per month on average
The highest ranked Italian city in the list of sunniest cities is Catania, the ancient port of Sicily. Catania is located on the east coast of Sicily, at the foot of the famous Etna. The Baroque Old Town of Catania is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History and culture lovers will have a great time here anyway. Take a good look around the Palazzo Biscari and the Piazza del Duomo.
But sun lovers will also get their money's worth here. La Playa is the locals' favorite beach, where you can sunbathe lazily during the day and enjoy the liveliness in the evening.
2. Messina, Sicily – 345 hours of sunshine per month on average
At number 2 of the Italian cities with the most sun, we find Messina, the port city closest to mainland Italy. With an average of 345 hours of sunshine per month, the city on the northeastern tip of the island is a beautiful destination to visit.
You will not only find impressive cruise ships in port here, but also some of the most beautiful Sicilian coasts to admire. Culture lovers can visit an impressive museum or one of the most beautiful cathedrals in all of Sicily.
3. Palermo, Sicily – an average of 340 hours of sunshine per month
Palermo, the capital of Sicily, completes the top 3 sunny Italian cities. Palermo is located on the north coast of the island, where you can also find famous seaside resorts of Cefalù and San Vito Lo Capo finds.
This city is also a really raucous Italian city with lively markets, busy squares and chaotic traffic. You will also find the largest opera house in all of Italy and many Unesco World Heritage sites here.
Sun lovers enjoy no less than 340 hours a month of sun on their skin in Palermo.
Research into the sunniest cities
This study of the sunniest cities in Italy in particular and the sunniest cities in Europe in general was done by extracting the average number of hours of sunshine per month in each city for the years 2009 to 2021.
In total, the 300 most populous cities in Europe were analysed. Using the data from World Weather Online, Holidu then calculated the average number of hours of sunshine per month using the average of each month of the year.
Source: press release Holidu
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