where to go what to see in puglia
There are so many amazing places to visit in Puglia, Italy. This guide will take yous through the best Puglia towns and cities and a quick overview of why you should add it to the Puglia itinerary! Please allow usa know if there are any places in Puglia we left out.
Beautiful Places to Visit in Puglia, Italia
There are places in this earth that will capture your imagination and force you to volume a airplane ticket there- Puglia is i of them. Located in the southeastern function of Italia, Puglia makes upwards the heel of Italy's boot-similar shape.
The region is known for its outstanding beauty, with rugged coastlines where towns perch precariously on cliffs and a hilly interior where whitewashed towns are surrounded by ancient olive groves and vineyards.
Puglia, or Apulia as it is known to locals, has an incredibly long and rich history and is believed to be i of the longest permanently settled areas in the globe. Its more than modern history has been somewhat turbulent, with rulers and invaders coming and going until finally, Italy united as ane kingdom in the 19th-century.
Puglia History
One of the first foreign rulers in the expanse were the Greeks. They established many of the settlements you see in the region today and some of the town and metropolis names have kept their Greek origins.
Eventually, the Roman Empire spread its attain to Puglia and built important trading routes, like the Via Triana. After the Roman Empire collapsed, Puglia transitioned rapidly between Norman, Arabic, and Castilian control, each putting their own stamp on the region earlier beingness ousted by the next invader.
Today, the region is a vibrant and bustling area that oozes southern European charm. Visitors to Puglia flock to the beautiful seaside towns to take in the stunning views over the Adriatic and marvel at the outstanding dazzler of the area.
Forth the declension, the dramatic cliffs give way to gorgeous beaches where you lot can relax and have in the summer sunshine. The region is domicile to some of the best off the beaten path Italy destinations.
In the Puglian evenings, it impossible non immerse yourself in the local culinary scene with amazing fresh fish available in pretty much every restaurant serving incredible dishes using the freshest local ingredients. The history of the region has been well-preserved and the expanse is one of the richest archaeological areas in Italian republic.
How to Get to Puglia
Reaching Puglia is fairly easy with two large airports servicing the area in Bari and Brindisi. Italy also has efficient railway connections with quick, reliable, and affordable options available. Alternatively, many of the large cities along the coast have big ports where cruise ships and ferries regularly arrive and depart from.
Puglia Towns and Cities
Throughout Puglia, at that place are hundreds of cute towns that are perfect for visiting, each with its ain charm and characteristics. To help you make up one's mind which Puglia towns to visit, I have put together the following list of the sixteen best cities, towns, and places to visit in Puglia.
From coastal dazzler to stunning hilltop towns, you volition fail not to be taken aback past the beauty of these places in Puglia, and you lot will be itching to volume your plane tickets to this awe-inspiring part of the world.
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What to Bring to Puglia
I am the master of over packing and I stop up toting around heavy numberless and bringing back fifty-fifty heavier bags equally I often forget to bring some of the essentials. To avoid my mistakes I actually suggest yous bring forth the following things for your trip to Puglia.
Italia power adapter: Europe is the land of crazy plugs, where three unlike kinds are available, i of which is predominantly found in Italia. They use this iii-prong plug , which is far smaller than those used on the rest of continental Europe and yous will quickly observe that either your plugs do not fit, or they fall out easily.
To avoid having to hunt down 1 during your trip I suggest bringing one or 2 with you to alleviate any unneeded stress.
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Power strip: The mighty power strip is ane of the best traveling companions in the world. A multiple socket power strip means you can accuse all of your electronics easily with but one adapter. I recommend getting a ability strip that also includes USB ports so that you practise non need to carry around USB plug adapters which volition make your luggage less bulky and cluttered.
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Fodor's Essential Italy guidebook: Even in today'due south modern cyberspace historic period, I endeavour not to travel without a physical guidebook as you lot really don't know when you will find yourself without access to the internet and trying to observe out data about a certain location.
The splendid Fodor's Essential Italy is the perfect guidebook to accompany you on your trip. It is full of expert knowledge and information technology will continue you on the right rail and is brimming with fantabulous recommendations for all kinds of travelers.
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Italy Phrasebook: I love the Italian linguistic communication- it just sounds so sexy and alluring. I always attempt to acquire a few new words when I go to Italian republic. Being able to speak a few words in the language really helps create a connection between yourself and local people even if it is only being able to order your coffee in Italian.
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Additional Puglia Reading
Puglia is a well-traveled region of Italian republic and there are plenty of dandy books that you lot should read before traveling there. Here are some of the best books I have found about the region, with some dandy suggestions of what to do and where to eat during your stay in Puglia.
Best Places in Puglia
Lecce
There are a few important cities in Puglia, with Lecce being one of the most vital to the region. The university city has had a long and enthralling history, transitioning throughout the ages and at one point physically moving two miles northeast.
The urban center is known for its Baroque-era buildings that brand up much of the Lecce old town, with Via Libertini being 1 of the best streets for seeing a large collection of Baroque buildings. In the center of the Lecce, you will notice an impressive Roman Amphitheatre that has held up over the years, although only the lower section of the 2-story structure is the original.
In the summertime evenings, you might exist lucky enough to run into a show in the amphitheater, sitting where spectators have sat for millennia. In the evening, enjoy Italian aperitivo with fantastic local wines grown in the surrounding areas.
Larn more than about Lecce by taking a fantastic guided walking tour of the city.
Gallipoli
Gallipoli, on Puglia'due south western coast, is a scenic boondocks dissever into two halves (if you Google the boondocks, make certain you add Puglia into your search, as there is also a Gallipoli, Turkey).
The new part of the town is located on the mainland of Italy while the old boondocks teeters on a minor isle completely surrounded by the bounding main and only accessible past a 16th-century bridge or by boat.
Explore the defensive walls of the one-time town and visit the Castello di Gallipoli, which was used for many years as the town'south master grade of defense. These days, it is used for more peaceful purposes as a tourist allure and cultural center.
In the interior of the town, become lost amongst the tight streets and alleyways, where you lot will find hidden churches and beautiful piazzas that you can accept a interruption and relish an espresso or some gelato while people watching. It makes it and then easy to spend a weekend in Gallipoli (or longer)!
Discover the city and learn all about its history by taking an organized walking bout , where an adept local guide will teach yous everything y'all need to know nigh the wonderful Gallipoli. Gallipoli is truly one of the best places to visit in Puglia.
Brindisi
Brindisi has historically been one of the most important cities in southern Italy, with its big port and ancient Roman roads connecting information technology direct with Rome. The urban center remains an influential port and the hub for exports and imports to Greece and the heart due east.
Spend time exploring the harbor where you will exist greeted with archetype trivial fishing boats bobbing around in the sea. By the stop of the sometime Via Appia (one of the onetime roads to Rome), you'll notice a giant Mussolini-era monument to sailors. Throughout the castle, y'all volition discover several castles that were built through the ages past unlike rulers.
Throughout Brindisi, yous will also run into many spectacular churches, some of which date back to earlier the 11th-century, still, some take had a hard past with the cathedral having to be entirely rebuilt in the 18th-century subsequently an earthquake destroyed the original.
To learn more nearly Brindisi, I recommend taking a guided walking tour of the city where you can learn all about the city from a friendly local.
Ostuni
Ostuni is a remarkably beautiful metropolis that sits perched on a hill, teeming with charming, whitewashed buildings. The boondocks has been in existence since the Stone Age, transforming over the years equally unlike rulers have come up and gone and has since become one of the best places to visit in Puglia.
Ostuni is best explored by foot. As you wander around the tight little streets and alleyways, amongst the vibrant white buildings, you lot volition find stunning squares similar Piazza della Libertà , a foursquare that is packed full of history.
1 of the most amazing things to do in Ostuni is to watch the dusk over the one-time town equally it turns the white city, gold, and pinkish. In the evening, take the time to try Ostuni'due south local wines that take been protected under European law. Ostuni is also famous for its olive oil, with ancient olive groves surrounding the city.
Make the nigh of your time in Ostuni, by taking a walking tour of Ostuni , consummate with a delightful gelato tasting.
If y'all're seeking somewhere to stay in Ostuni, yous tin find some of our favorite Ostuni hotels here.
Trani
One of Puglia'due south hidden gems is the pocket-sized boondocks of Trani. Every bit people pour into Bari, they tend to head southeast forth the coast to the more famous towns like Polignano a Mare. Despite its small size, Trani packs a punch when it comes to things to do, such as the beautiful Villa Comunale di Trani a wonderful park that has picturesque views over the city and the bounding main.
There is a Norman-era castle in the eye of the town. However, it is important to make sure that you bank check if the castle is fully accessible and in that location are no restoration works ongoing otherwise you lot will observe much of the edifice to be closed and not worth the entrance fee.
The quaint streets feel peaceful and brand for a relaxing walk equally you escape the crowds of tourists that you normally find in Puglian towns. There is also a fantastic Romanesque cathedral that dominates the town eye.
To ensure you don't miss whatsoever of the key sights in Trani, I recommend taking a guided walking bout of the boondocks. I wish I had done that when I was there as I call back I missed a not bad deal of the history of Trani.
Bari
Bari is the region's capital and the gateway to exploring Puglia. The city has existed since effectually 300 BC and from then, it grew into one of the nigh important ports in the region.
Bari has also become one of the most important religious towns in Italy as people undertake pilgrimages to visit the relics of Saint Nicholas (in Basilica San Nicola), the man who would after become the legendary Santa Claus.
The relics are so revered in the Russian Orthodox church that there is even a special Orthodox church in the boondocks to house the pilgrims. Along with the fantastic churches, Bari is home to many other historical buildings like medieval castles and grand palaces.
Spend some fourth dimension walking along the seafront, where you tin take a ride on the observational Ferris bicycle or head to the fish market place to endeavor the fantastic fresh seafood that locals eat raw with a squeeze of lemon.
In improver to fresh seafood, Bari is famous for its Focaccia Barese and Orrechiette, an ear-shaped pasta that y'all tin can find local ladies making and selling on the streets.
Enjoy the sights and tasty treats of Bari on a guided street food bout of the city where you lot will consume your style effectually the city while taking in the sights. For me, Bari is synonymous with Nutrient and it is imperative that you larn nearly it while visiting the Italian metropolis.
Click hither if you're keen to meet what to do in Bari from our guide.
Monopoli
Along the eastern coast of Puglia, you will find my favorite city I visited in the region, Monopoli, Italia. The small town isn't as popular as many others along the declension but is still packed with incredible history and charm.
The onetime town is crammed full of cute fiddling alleyways and streets where you can observe little bazaar shops or stumble beyond ancient churches and palaces.
I of the biggest draws to Monopoli is its stunning beaches that stretch due south of the town and are some of the best spots to relax and enjoy the Adriatic body of water in Puglia.
Throughout Monopoli, you lot will observe old defensive spots where cannons were placed to protect the city from invaders like the Spanish Armada who were held off for three months.
There is also a large corporeality of Roman history in the area with the Via Triana having run through Monopoli and under the cathedral there are excavated Roman ruins.
Enjoy a private guided tour of Monopoli where an expert local volition teach you all you need to know about this beautiful town.
If you're looking for a place to stay in Monopoli, be sure to bank check out our accommodation guide.
Polignano a Mare
One of the biggest draws to the region is the town of Polignano a Mare, referred to equally the "Jewel of Puglia". Legend has it that Polignano a Mare broke away from Greece and floated across the Adriatic and joined with Italy. Although this obviously isn't truthful, Polignano a Mare, like most of the region, has Greek heritage.
There are many things to do in Polignano a Mare, such as the historic old town where you tin can wander around the streets to discover the hidden poetry written on the walls and stairways.
The town is perched loftier above the sea atop of the dramatic cliffs and from the old town, you can discover many viewpoints that look over the coves and out to sea.
In the center of the boondocks, you lot will observe a gorge that leads to the Lama Monachile Embankment, the chief public beach of the town. Backside the beach, you will also detect the Ponte Lama Monachile, the one-time Roman span that formed part of the Via Triana.
In the afternoon, take the opportunity to try Polignano a Mare's special coffee, a boozy version of coffee that is popular among the locals. In the evening, swallow dinner at the Grotta Palazzese restaurant, a restaurant that is built into ane of the sea caves hovers above the tranquil waters below.
Take a private tour of Polignano a Mare where you will take in the sights of this darling clifftop town and try its famous "special java".
Click here if you're looking for hotels in Polignano a Mare or for how to spend ane mean solar day in Polignano a Mare.
Alberobello
Alberobello is ane of the biggest draws to the Puglia region with its Trulli-style houses. The houses were once commonplace across Puglia as they were quick and easy to build since there is no mortar holding the stones together.
Rumor has it they were congenital as a smart way to avoid property revenue enhancement in the region every bit they were quick to dismantle when revenue enhancement inspectors from Naples would enter the area.
Today, tourists love to explore the town where the Trullis are packed tightly together and protected by UNESCO Earth Heritage. There are as well many Alberobello tours that make getting to the town easier than ever!
While visiting the boondocks, along with walking effectually the charming streets, you can spend a dark in one of these beautiful houses in which design and edifice techniques have non changed in many years since they must follow strict edifice regulations under UNESCO rules.
Take a 2-hour walking tour of the town to acquire all nigh its magical amuse and its hidden secrets. If you lot are planning to stay the night Alberobello, you tin can book a stay in your very own Trulli house here .
Matera
Technically not fully in Puglia, Matera sits on Puglia'south border with Basilicata and is 1 of the most historically important towns in Italy, if not the world. It is believed to be one of the world's oldest continuously settled areas with over 12,000 years of human activity.
The main draw of Matera is the Sassi, an ancient town that was built into the caves. The former cave dwellings were inhabited until the 1950s when they were finally deemed uninhabitable. The town has at present been turned into a large open up-air museum where you can explore the houses and see what it was similar to alive in a cave.
Surrounding the Sassi, at that place are religious monasteries and builds that accept besides been congenital into the caves by monks. The more modern part of Matera is referred to as the stone city since the buildings are made of local stone, which creates an imposing experience to the boondocks that sits loftier on a loma.
Matera and its fantastically rich history can be slightly overwhelming, then I recommend taking a walking tour of the town to fully savour the treasures contained within. If y'all're looking for the easiest way to visit Matera from Bari, be sure to cheque out our guide to it.
Altamura
Altamura is one of the most fascinating towns in Puglia and is located more inland. The town exudes history, which dates back at least 130,000 years. Today's Altamura, all the same, is relatively new having been built during the Norman times after the previous town was ransacked by the Saracens in the 10th-century.
One of the main sights in the new town is the famous Romanesque Cathedral. It is only ane of four of that manner in Puglia and the interior of the church building all the same contains some of the original 13th-century reliefs from when the cathedral was commencement built. In the surface area around the city, y'all will find probably some of the nigh interesting ancient sites, starting with the remnants of megalithic urban center walls.
In the countryside around Altamura are huge homo-made hills that were used every bit aboriginal tombs alongside burial caves in the hillsides.
The well-nigh interesting burial ground is that of the Altamura Man, a fossil of a Neanderthal that is 130,000-180,000 years one-time. It is the well-nigh intact remains of its kind, with even nose bones remaining. Withal, its so delicate and precious they cannot move it and to this twenty-four hour period it still resides in Lamalunga Cavern.
Proceed hunger at bay by trying Altamura's famous bread, the Pane di Altamura.
Take a guided tour of Altamura and larn all about its famous bread that is popular throughout Italy.
Barletta
Many Puglian towns and cities take their routes in Greek or Roman origins, all the same, Barletta was known to exist at to the lowest degree 100 years prior to the Greeks settling in the surface area and is i of the best places to visit in Puglia today.
There is plenty to practise in and around Barletta other than just eating amazing Italian food. In the center of the boondocks, you will find the colossus of Barletta, a giant statue of an unknown Roman emperor idea to exist Theodosius Ii. The statue randomly washed up on a beach later a Venetian ship sank and it is unclear where it originated from.
Barletta too has a fantastic cathedral in the heart of the boondocks, as well equally a Norman castle. Just exterior of the town are the ruins of Cannae, a small village that was the site of one of the Roman Empires' most humiliating defeats in 216 BC, when Hannibal'due south army was able to overcome a much larger and stronger Roman Army.
Detect more of Barletta's hidden treasures by taking a guided walking tour with an good local who volition teach y'all everything you demand to know about Barletta.
Vieste
Vieste is an incredibly must-visit town on the eastern declension of Puglia. The boondocks is located on the Gargano Peninsula and is known for its natural dazzler. The waters around the town take even been awarded the Bluish Flag for the purity levels.
Bulging out of the pristine, turquoise waters are amazing chalk stone formations. In the town itself, you volition detect a well-preserved one-time town where a maze of alleyways and stairways that pitter-patter upward the hillside. Vieste is domicile to a triangular Norman castle that imposes itself on the coastline.
Each year, the metropolis commemorates a darker office of its history, when its citizens were enslaved past the Turks and the elderly or weak were murdered. Along the coast, hunt out amazing viewpoints that are dotted forth the cliff tops and in the old town.
Bask a private walking tour of this beautiful town, where an expert guide will help you navigate the winding streets of the old boondocks and show y'all some of Vieste's subconscious spots.
Foggia
Every bit you lot head inland in northern Puglia, you lot volition find the urban center of Foggia, a relatively large city for the region with a population of around 150,000 people. Although the area around the city has been settled for millennia, the first mentions of the urban center in its electric current form are from effectually 1000 Advertisement.
Sadly, during WWII, the city was bombarded by the Allies and many of the buildings were destroyed. However, at that place are all the same some bully places to visit in the city, such equally the Palazzo Dogana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its cultural importance.
There are as well many beautiful sights in Foggia, such every bit the cathedral of Santa Maria de Fovea which has been built incorporating two different architectural styles, Baroque and Romanesque.
Spend an evening tasting Puglia's famous wines and learning about Foggia's old town during a guided wine tour of the metropolis.
Taranto
Taranto is a fascinating city that, at 1 point, was ane of the largest in the world. In 500 BC, information technology is believed that the population of Taranto was around 300,000 people. As the years went past, the city became ane of the most of import ports in Italy because the Italian Navy also based there.
As you explore the city, it is like shooting fish in a barrel to notice its long and epic history, with the ruins of 6th century BC Greek temples still visible in the city center. Dotted throughout the city, you volition find scenic palaces such as the Palazzo del Governo and a castle that was used to defend the city from frequent attacks by the Turks.
The littoral waters off of Taranto are rich with minerals and are home to some of the best mussels bachelor in Italy… so adept that they are on a list of regionally protected foods. In these waters, information technology is often common to see dolphins and whales.
Learn everything in that location is to know about this fascinating port city by taking a private tour with a professional local guide.
Santa Maria di Leuca
On the very tip of Italia's heel is the quaint town of Santa Maria di Leuca. The pocket-sized town has existed since the first century Advert. The most notable sight in the town is the impressive lighthouse that stands at 47 meters tall and is the second most important lighthouse in the whole of Italy and information technology is definitely one of the best places to visit in Puglia.
Just below the lighthouse is a large sanctuary at what is classed as the stop of the land. Beneath the sanctuary, a man-made waterfall marks the end of the Apulian Aqueduct that was completed in 1939 and a big concrete cavalcade celebrates the accomplishment, in truthful Mussolini style.
If you lot're looking for awesome Puglia towns and cities, nosotros hope that this guide gives you a dandy starting signal to planning your trip. If you have any other great places to visit in Puglia that yous recommend, delight let us know and then nosotros can add together them to our next Puglia itinerary!
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Source: https://www.meganstarr.com/places-to-visit-in-puglia-italy/
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