Puglia: Bari as a base, then Alberobello, Matera and Lecce

Puglia is easiest from a single base, and Bari is the one: three trips leave straight from it, Matera lies across the regional border, and Lecce is a destination of its own at the southern end of the peninsula. The route runs from sea to stone: first the white coast, then the conical trulli, then a city carved into the rock and finally baroque the colour of honey.

Bari, the base

The old town, Bari Vecchia, sits on a peninsula between two harbours, so the sea is a few steps from every lane. In the narrow alleys women make orecchiette by hand on tables in front of their doors, on the street called Arco Basso; people stop, watch and buy. Building of the Basilica of St Nicholas began in 1087, when the relics arrived from Myra, and it was consecrated in 1197. The cathedral is Apulian Romanesque from the last decades of the 12th century, and the Teatro Petruzzelli, opened in 1903, burned in 1991 and reopened in 2009. The basilica is free, the cathedral free (crypt about €1).

1 dayBari Vecchia and the seafront, in order:Bari in 1 day →

FoodOrecchiette, panzerotti and sgagliozze, and where to eat them:What to eat in Bari →

Polignano a Mare and Monopoli

The first trip runs south along the Adriatic. Polignano a Mare stands on a cliff above the sea, with the Lama Monachile beach and the Grotta Palazzese hotel-restaurant; Trenitalia regional train, direct goes there, 16–20 min. The next town on the same line is Monopoli, about 28 min from Bari, Trenitalia regional train, direct. It has an old harbour, the Castle of Charles V, completed in 1525, and a history of resistance: in 1529 it withstood a three-month Spanish siege.

Day tripsPolignano, Monopoli, Alberobello and Matera from Bari:Day trips from Bari →

Alberobello, the trulli

From the coast the route turns inland, into the Itria Valley. Trulli are houses of dry stone, without mortar, built of limestone from the local karst, with a conical roof and a decorative pinnacle. Alberobello has two quarters, Rione Monti and Aia Piccola, and UNESCO has listed it since 1996. Getting there means FSE (Ferrovie del Sud Est) train or bus, about 1 h 15 – 1 h 40 each way, return ticket €12. The trip takes half a day to a full day.

Matera, across the regional border

Matera is not in Puglia but in Basilicata, yet Bari is its nearest big city, so the trip starts there: the return fare is €6.80 and the trip takes a full day. The city sits on the right bank of the Gravina canyon and is carved into soft limestone; the Sassi districts and the rock churches were inscribed by UNESCO in December 1993. People lived in the caves until 1952, when the state moved them to the new part of town. It was European Capital of Culture in 2019. Anyone with a single day for Matera should spend it in the Sassi themselves.

1 dayThe Sassi in one day, with Casa Grotta and the rock churches:Matera in 1 day →

Lecce, the end of the peninsula

The last stop is Lecce, capital of Salento, at the southern end of the peninsula and therefore a separate trip. It is called the "Florence of the South" because it is carved from Lecce stone, a soft limestone that is easy to cut. The façade of the Basilica of Santa Croce, full of animals, grotesques and a rose window, took from 1353 to 1695 to build, more than three centuries, and entry is €11 (€21 with the bell tower), open April–September 9–21; October–March 9–18. On Piazza Sant'Oronzo a Roman amphitheatre is partly visible, and the Porta Napoli gate dates from 1548. Days for Lecce: 1–2; 3–4 as a base.

1 dayLecce in order, from Santa Croce to the Castle of Charles V:Lecce in 1 day →

Day tripsOtranto, Gallipoli and the Salento coast from Lecce:Day trips from Lecce →

When to goWhen Puglia is at its best, and when it is too hot to tour:The best time to visit Bari →