Crystal blue sea, green countryside, intense red terrain, golden sunsets....From Porto Cesareo to Peschici, from Bari to Taranto, from Vieste to Brindisi, from Otranto to the Tremiti Islands, you can experience a multitude of emotions holidaying in Puglia all year round. You can find all of the tourist information that you may require on this site, regarding beach establishments, castles, cult places, typical products, cathedrals, and natural parks in Puglia...
Sea lovers can take their pick, choosing between the cliffs of Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca, the meeting point between the Ionian and the Adriatic Sea, or between Gallipoli and the Gargano jutting out to the clear waters of the sea that guards the beautiful Tremiti Islands. Nature is again the protagonist in the Murgia National Park and the Garagano National Park with its wild forest, its salt pans and lakes, the deep ravines of Laterza and the wide dolines of Altamura, which distinguish the hinterland of the region with their charming sceneries. To those who want to plunge into history, Puglia offers a wide range of places that tell the ancient origins of this land: from prehistory to Magna Graecia, from the Imperial Age to the Renaissance and the baroque splendour of Lecce and of the Salento area.
The provinces of the region are: Bari (regional capital), Barletta, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, Taranto
To be visited:
The most devout, but not only, cannot miss a trip to San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), to visit the places of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, the monastery of Capuchin friars of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Padre Pio died in 1968, and the new church designed by great architect Renzo Piano, open since 2004.
For a full immersion in history and tradition, Alberobello is a must. The town of the "trulli", ancient and peculiar stone houses with a conical roof, constructed without mortar, is so unique that it was inscribed on the World Heritage list by Unesco. Besides the trulli, Puglia boasts another Unesco site in the town of Andria, Castel del Monte, an unrivalled masterpiece of medieval architecture commissioned by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in the eighteenth century. It is interesting to know that number 8 is the motif of the castle: the sides of the castle plan are 8, the rooms of the ground floor and the first floor are 8 are they form an octagon, and the grand octagonal-planned towers are 8, too.
San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia, Cretaccio and Pianosa are the five islands of the Tremiti Archipelago, a tiny paradise where history and nature merge perfectly and offer a wonderful landscape to explore.
To eat: Pugliese food has always been defined as "poor" for its simple ingredients; yet, it satisfies all types of palates. It has three strengths: durum wheat, vegetables and olive oil, which are combined with meat and fish to make up original dishes with genuine and unmistakable flavors.
The hallmark of regional cooking is home-made pasta made with durum wheat or a mix of durum and soft wheat: from recchietelle (also called orecchiette) and their various versions that became a symbol of the region, to famous li strascinati, that once were the main course for the poorest families and now are demanded and served in the best restaurants. Then mignuicchie, fenescecchie, troccoli, sagne 'ncannuate, cicatadde and other original types of pasta that are still made according to old traditions. Particularly, the combination between pasta and vegetables is unexpectedly surprising, like strascinati with cabbage and fried bacon or spaghetti with string beans, tomatoes and cacioricotta cheese. In fact, Puglia is a big scented vegetable garden, where vegetables have unparalleled colors and flavors. When combined with home-made pasta, the fresh fish of the sea or good meat, they give the palate unforgettable sensations.
This region, with its 800 km of coast and two seas, offers a great variety of fish specialties for those who like it: raw, marinated, poached in delicious fish soups and even with cheese. Those who have a sweet tooth will find lots of temptations with dried fruit, honey, mulled wine, candied fruit and chocolate.
Among the quality products that deserved the protection of quality marks PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or RGI (Regional Geographical Indication), are Altamura bread, famous for its crispness, sweet and juicy Clementine Tangerines from the Gulf of Taranto, the Bella della Daunia, a type of olive cultivated in the area of Foggia since 1400, and the famous wines and extra-virgin olive oils, with different features according to their production area. ).
Bari, cultural crossroads since ancient times, is an ideal starting point. A city where two souls meet: the old town, surrounded by an imposing wall and crossed with narrow streets that lead to the discovery of its rich heritage, and the modern city, built at the beginning of the XIX century and gone through changes over time.
Along the perimeter of the old walls one comes across the majestic Castle built on the orders of Frederick II of Swabia, with a spacious inner courtyard, where today gatherings and events take place. A wonderful example of Apulian Romanesque architecture is the imposing Basilica di San Nicola (Saint Nicholas Basilica), where the holy relics of the famous saint are kept.
The sober and bright façade, flanked by two towers of different shape and height, has three portals that give access to the interior naves, where important works of art are kept.
The second most important church in Bari is the Cathedral, flanked by a tall bell tower and built on layers of previous ancient buildings. A finely decorated rose window and three portals give movement to the main façade. The interplay of volume and space, and the light seeping through the large openings and reflected off the stone walls, create an evocative atmosphere inside the church.
The new town, whose project was planned by Gioacchino Murat, is criss-crossed with shopping streets like Corso Cavour, where is located the famous Teatro Petruzzelli (Petruzzelli Theatre), considered the temple of opera in Bari
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The southern part of the province borders on a strip of the gorgeous Itria Valley, known as the land of the trulli. Alberobello, home of these characteristic conical buildings symbol of Puglia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the surroundings, Locorotondo, whitewashed village on a rocky spur overlooking the marvellous scenery of the valley, during springtime turns into an explosion of colours and scents. A patchwork of vineyards, olive groves, woods and fields outlined by whitewashed dry stone walls, whose uniformity is broken by small conglomerations of trulli. Today the trulli, in strict respect for the ancient tradition, are equipped with all modern comforts and represent an original alternative to classic hotel rooms to spend one's holidays. The old part of town in Locorotondo deserves a visit: surrounded by its town wall, it's criss-crossed by narrow alleys between pretty whitewashed houses enlivened by colourful floral displays adorning the balconies.
The journey continues with a visit to Conversano, a small town that has been able to protect its historical and cultural identity without renouncing the advantages of modern times. An imposing Castle overlooks the city, with four large towers located by the angles of the trapezoidal plan, in the direction of the cardinal points. Built as a defense structure, the Aragonese turned it into a manor house with external and internal building works aiming at softening its lines and shapes. The Galleria Municipale (Municipal Gallery) housed in the premises displays interesting artworks. There are also numerous religious buildings, such as the Cathedral, in Apulian Romanesque style.
Also interesting the architecture of the old town centre of Putignano, known for the famous carnival, and Castellana Grotte, known for the evocative underground caves.
In the Murgia of the shepherds, where the landscape leaves the warm colours of the Mediterranean bush and takes on the dark tones of a bare terrain, there is Altamura, known mainly for a bread that has been awarded its own appellation status DOP. The town can be spotted on a spur overlooking the plateau, with the Cathedral towers standing out against the sky, as though to attract the visitor's attention. Built on the orders of Frederick II of Swabia, the church has undergone important transformations, such as the construction of two towers to the sides of the façade, instead of bell towers which traditionally complete the structure of religious buildings.
Last but not least interesting stop on the journey, Gravina di Puglia is a land of natural galleries, caves and ravines dug by an underground river and in the past used as shelters by man.
Barletta:
Barletta-Andria-Trani is a newly established province of Puglia, located between the Gulf of Manfredonia and the Land of Bari.
Barletta and Trani face the limpid waters of the Adriatic sea, while Andria is located further inland, very close to the Alta Murgia (High Murgia) that occupies most of the area of the province.
With Margherita di Savoia in the north and Bisceglie in the south marking the borders along the coastal strip, lovely sandy shores are lapped by the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic sea.
Trani Cathedral, dedicated to San Nicola Pellegrino (Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim) and an example of Apulian Romanesque architecture, combines, with harmony and elegance, elements of styles from different periods and cultures. Regarded by some as the "Queen of cathedrals in Puglia", it exhibits a finely decorated portal with a marvellous bronze door work of Barisano da Trani, comprising of 32 panels each portraying a biblical character. The 59 metre high bell tower, built in different periods, is adorned with a series of double, triple and quintuple lancet windows and an octagonal cusp at the top. The construction of elegant mansion houses, such as the Palazzo Caccetta with a Late Gothic façade, dates back to the Renaissance.
Barletta, famous for the celebrated challenge, features medieval traits, such as the white XII century Castle, premises of the Museo Civico (Civic Museum) where are exhibited important works dating back to ancient periods. Some of the interesting monuments one can admire during a walk in the streets of Barletta are the Duomo (Cathedral), dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major) and built on an ancient Romanesque framework, the Colosso, imposing IV century bronze statue and the Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro (Saint Sepulchre Church), a balanced stratification of different styles.
Not far away, Canne della Battaglia, scene of the battle between the Roman and Carthaginian armies, a history book under the open sky where the narrative starts with prehistory, continues with the Roman age and ends with the Medieval age.
A travel back in time is offered by Canosa, a place that speaks volumes about the ancient origins of this land. In the surrounding area have been found remains of a necropolis, underground rooms used for various functions (hypogeum), mausoleums and numerous artifacts that have made this city one of the most important archaeological sites in Puglia.
Brindisi:
The Cinque Terre boasts some of the best coastline hiking trails in the world. The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore (or roughly "Lovers Walk"). The beautiful trail along the shore is very easy to hike. The next hike from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza offers incredible views of shore and is only steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is the steepest (but not overly demanding), winding through Olive orchards and vineyards and offering dramatic ocean views.
The walk between all the villages takes the better part of a day. For those that would rather not walk (or not walk the entire trail), a pedestrian ferry service runs seasonally to all five villages, plus Lerici. The price is reasonable, and gives a nice view of the villages from the water. The milk train that connect all the villages is also a quick way to hop among towns.
The main attraction of the Cinque Terre is the landscape. Mediterranean herbs and trees grow spontaneously from the top of the hills down to the water level. Well embedded in this magnificent natural scenery, one can admire the intense human activity of the ancestors, when the wine terraces were built. An enormous (and somehow crazy) work of transportation, carrying all the heavy stones on men's shoulders and women's heads. A work through the centuries, in fact it's estimated to have taken about 200 years to build the entire stone-wall network. Its total length has been calculated to be at least equal to the Great Wall of China.
Tourists can enjoy the scenery described above, walk through the towns (or between them) or hiking on the paths and enjoying the local atmosphere
Foggia:
Tourists can enjoy the scenery described above, walk through the towns (or between them) or hiking on the paths and enjoying the local atmosphere
Lecce:
Tourists can enjoy the scenery described above, walk through the towns (or between them) or hiking on the paths and enjoying the local atmosphere
Taranto:
Tourists can enjoy the scenery described above, walk through the towns (or between them) or hiking on the paths and enjoying the local atmosphere
