Mountains, massifs, and valleys blanketed in white meet dense beech forests and frozen lakes. The cyclical slumber of the rich flora and fauna creates, at this time of year, an enchanting landscape, as we wait for the arrival of spring. This is the Sicily of the Nebrodi, a northern-looking land far removed from the sun-drenched summer postcard image, where winter lingers, transforming small villages into nativity scenes, and life moves at a slow, measured pace.

With its 86,000 hectares—the largest protected natural area in Sicily—the Nebrodi Park spans three provinces (Messina, Catania, Enna) and twenty-four municipalities. This is a true green treasure chest bordering Mount Etna, where the horizon opens onto the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Aeolian Islands. A symbol of bucolic Sicily, the park is home to around 150 species of birds of prey, rare plants such as Petagna, and the Mangalaviti Forest, the southernmost beech forest in Europe.