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For the city itself, I had one night there and most of one day, For craft beer lovers, Beer Bang is a great place to go for choice of beer, friendly staff and atmosphere. Daytime, I saw a lot of the city but there were a couple of places that I didn't have time to visit. If I'd been there longer I would also have travelled up and down the coastline a bit more, it appears to be attractive. Ferry port/station easy to find/navigate from.

Messina has a reputation for being a 'just passing through' transit town. We stopped for just one night en-route to the north coast. The atmosphere and 'feel' of the city was easy-going and pleasant - in retrospect, we could easily have spent another night or two exploring and sight-seeing.

Messina doesn't have the legacy of architectural wonders that its long history deserves and its most recent buildings have been built low to the ground to guard against future seismic events. That said, this is a busy, thriving port city that receives a huge number of visitors every day. Messina's hook-shaped port is where we arrived from and it's just a short distance to Piazza del Duomo. This is the home of the Cathedral which was originally built in 12th century but reconstructed after the disasters of the first half of the 20th century. On the same square of the Cathedral is the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower can be climbed for one of the best views of the city and beyond but there is more to it than that. Facing out from the Bell Tower is an astronomical clock with a variety of golden statues that help to tell the time in different ways. At 12:00 everyday the bells toll and the lion roars but it's really not worth the wait! Away from roaring lions and astronomical clocks, we had some pleasant 'passeggiatas' along vast stretches of promenade.

Unaware that ferry arrival at almost midnight was at a cargo terminal, miles from anywhere, no taxis but helped by kind crew member. Nervous as solo traveller but most accommodating receptionist guided me by phone into stay. Tramline on waterfront easy access to station. Only stopping point to Palermo - can’t judge attractions.

Messina is a pretty city in a beautiful spot that is off the radar for most travelers. The cathedral, rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake, is beautiful, with Byzantine mosaics in the apses that miraculously survived. The clock tower mechanical clock is spectacular even though it only operates once a day. The regional museum is full of treasures that were salvaged from churches destroyed in the earthquake. The highlights are two Caravaggios and an Antonello da Messina triptych. Interestingly, Messina appears not to promote itself. The tourist office seemed to always be closed. I ended up asking in shops what sights to see, how to get to them on busses, and for restaurant recommendations. Locals were very glad to help me with that information.

we stayed 4 nights, allowing enough time t spend in Messina as well as use it as a base to travel to other Sicily locations. it had great walkability although the sidewalks/curbs were a little challenging with a suitcase. the noon Duomo show was definitely a highlight