Crotone
By Dion Protani
|
Latest update: 14 March 2022
|
The city of Crotone is the capital of the Province of Crotone with a population of 64,710 inhabitants.
Founded in 710 BC, the city was originally named Kroton and was one of the most important centres of the Magna Graecia region. It was at one stage home to the famous Greek mathematician: Pythagoras, who has a museum named after him in the city. Crotone is situated on the Ionian Coast with the city of Catanzaro, the regional capital of Calabria, lying 72 kilometres south west. |
Related links
With its seaside location, the first and most obvious attraction of the city is its long, sandy beach. The seafront (lungomare) is where you'll find a good selection of restaurants specialising in fresh fish dishes.
Although much of the city centre is relatively modern in appearance, the most striking sight is its 16th century castle (Castello di Carlo V) which sits in an elevated position overlooking the harbour. The walk up to the castle takes you past an intricate web of narrow streets which give a different perspective to the city.
Crotone's main train station is called Stazione di Crotone and is located at the edge of the city, around 3 kilometres from the seafront; a walk of half an hour or a 10 minute taxi ride. From the station you can take a direct train to Reggio Calabria, a journey of 3 hours and 25 minutes with 14 stops along the way including Catanzaro Lido, Soverato and Siderno among others.
Whilst Crotone does have its own airport, it does have its limitations with most flights going to one destination: Milan Bergamo Airport in the north of Italy. This can be useful for connecting flights to London Stansted with Ryanair, but for direct flights there's Lamezia Terme Airport which is an hour and 40 minutes away by car, a distance of 104 kilometres.
Crotone and the area that surrounds it are full of history and you can make a day of it by visiting two important archaeological sites. In the city itself there's the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum) while just a short drive south along the coast is the famous Capo Colonna. Other places of interest close by include the seaside locations of Le Castella, Cirò Marina and Cariati.
Although much of the city centre is relatively modern in appearance, the most striking sight is its 16th century castle (Castello di Carlo V) which sits in an elevated position overlooking the harbour. The walk up to the castle takes you past an intricate web of narrow streets which give a different perspective to the city.
Crotone's main train station is called Stazione di Crotone and is located at the edge of the city, around 3 kilometres from the seafront; a walk of half an hour or a 10 minute taxi ride. From the station you can take a direct train to Reggio Calabria, a journey of 3 hours and 25 minutes with 14 stops along the way including Catanzaro Lido, Soverato and Siderno among others.
Whilst Crotone does have its own airport, it does have its limitations with most flights going to one destination: Milan Bergamo Airport in the north of Italy. This can be useful for connecting flights to London Stansted with Ryanair, but for direct flights there's Lamezia Terme Airport which is an hour and 40 minutes away by car, a distance of 104 kilometres.
Crotone and the area that surrounds it are full of history and you can make a day of it by visiting two important archaeological sites. In the city itself there's the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum) while just a short drive south along the coast is the famous Capo Colonna. Other places of interest close by include the seaside locations of Le Castella, Cirò Marina and Cariati.
Comune di Crotone
Province: Crotone
Region: Calabria Population: 60,123 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022) Size: 180 km² Highlights: beaches, Castello di Carlo V, Archaeological Museum Close by: Capo Colonna, Le Castella, Cirò Marina, Cariati Recommended hotel: Villa Aurora (28 km) |
Public transport: train station 2 km from centre, local buses
By train: Reggio Calabria - 3 hours and 25 minutes |
By car: Catanzaro - 1 hour 14 minutes, Cosenza - 1 hour 22 mins
Fly to: Crotone Airport, 18 mins by car (15 km) |
|