Apulia (Puglia) is the sun-drenched heel of Italy's boot, stretching along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts with over 800 km of coastline, centuries-old whitewashed towns, and a food culture that rivals anywhere in the country. Home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the iconic trulli of Alberobello and the enigmatic Castel del Monte — Apulia blends Norman castles, Baroque Lecce stonework, and ancient masserie (fortified farmhouses) into an unforgettable landscape.
Top attractions
The most popular and significant attractions in Apulia.
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1
Trulli of Alberobello
Alberobello's Rione Monti and Aia Piccola districts hold over a thousand trulli, whitewashed limestone huts with conical stacked-stone roofs built without mortar, a construction method tied to local building history and tax avoidance under Naples rule. Rione Monti is now largely shops and souvenir stalls, while Aia Piccola across the way is quieter and still mostly residential. The Trullo Sovrano is the only two-story trullo in town and gives a sense of the interior layout you can't get from the street.
Tip: Arrive before 09:00 or after 18:00 to photograph empty lanes without tour-group crowds · Visit Rione Aia Piccola (the residential zone) for a quieter, less commercial atmosphere than Rione Monti · Admission to the Trullo Sovrano museum is €1.50 — pay inside the trullo entrance · Wear flat, rubber-soled shoes — the cobbled lanes are steep in places and slippery when wet · Combine with a visit to nearby Locorotondo (20 min by car) for trulli in the surrounding countryside
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2
Lecce Baroque Old Town
Lecce's historic centre is built almost entirely from local pietra leccese, a soft golden limestone that lets carvers cut deep, elaborate ornamentation, which is why the city's 17th-century churches and palazzi are so densely decorated compared to Baroque architecture elsewhere in Italy. The Basilica di Santa Croce and the buildings around Piazza del Duomo are the standard reference points for this style. Because the stone is soft, the facades have also weathered into a warm, textured surface that changes color with the light.
Tip: Enter Santa Croce early — it opens at 09:00 and the interior is cool and uncrowded before tour groups arrive · The Duomo bell tower can be climbed for a rooftop panorama over the old town; the fee and opening hours are posted at the base · Guided walking tours depart from Piazza Sant'Oronzo and are advisable in July–August when the volume of sites can be overwhelming · Try pasticciotto (custard-filled pastry) for breakfast at a historic pasticceria — a longstanding Lecce morning ritual · Street parking inside the ring road is scarce; use the parking areas on Viale dei Salesiani and walk 10 minutes to the centre
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3
Castel del Monte
Built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century, this castle is unusual for having no moat, drawbridge, or other real defensive features, which has led historians to debate whether it was a hunting lodge, an administrative seat, or a deliberate architectural statement. Its plan is a strict octagon with eight octagonal towers, echoing Frederick's known interest in geometry and astronomy. It sits alone on a hilltop with no town built up around it, so the building itself, rather than a surrounding old quarter, is the whole visit.
Tip: Visit on the first Sunday of the month for free admission — arrive by 09:00 to avoid queues that build through the morning · A summer shuttle bus runs from Andria; outside summer a car or taxi from Andria (around €20 each way) is required · Bring water — the hilltop has no shade and temperatures exceed 35°C in July and August · The interior has no furnishings; bring an audio guide or printed notes to interpret the architectural details · Combine with Trani (35 km east) for a full northern Apulia day itinerary
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4
Polignano a Mare
Polignano a Mare is built on a limestone cliff riddled with sea caves, and the old town's white lanes end abruptly at drops down to the Adriatic, most famously at the Lama Monachile cove where a narrow beach sits beneath a Roman-era bridge. Singer Domenico Modugno, who wrote 'Volare,' was born here and there's a statue of him overlooking the sea. The old town itself is small and walkable in an hour or two, with balconies and viewpoints cut directly into the cliff edge.
Tip: Arrive by the first train from Bari (around 07:00) to photograph Cala Porto before crowds arrive · The footpath from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II to Cala Porto takes 5 minutes; swimming at the cove is free · Boat tours of the sea caves operate May–October from the harbour; operators sell tickets on the quayside for around €10–15 · Polignano has limited parking in the centre — take the train from Bari or park on the outskirts and walk · Return in the evening for sunset from the old town terrace rather than staying all day in summer heat
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5
Grotte di Castellana
This is Italy's longest network of show caves, roughly 3km of connected chambers formed by water erosion in the limestone plateau, descending to depths of around 60-70 meters below the surface. The first chamber, the Grave, is a huge collapsed sinkhole open to daylight that gives a sense of scale before you head underground into the fully enclosed passages. The final stretch, the Grotta Bianca, is lined with white alabaster-like formations that are the visual high point of the full tour.
Tip: Book the full 3 km tour online at grottedicastellana.it — the Grotta Bianca is the visual highlight and worth the extra 50 minutes · Bring a light jacket regardless of outside temperature — 15°C feels cold after 30 minutes underground · Arrive 15 minutes before the booked tour — the caves close punctually and latecomers may miss the start · Photography without flash is permitted throughout; a wide-angle lens or smartphone with night mode captures La Grave's scale best · Combine with Alberobello (20 km) for a full day in the Apulian trulli belt
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Ostuni Old Town
Known as the Città Bianca for its whitewashed buildings, Ostuni sits on a hilltop a few kilometers inland from the Adriatic coast and is built as a tight maze of stepped, narrow lanes climbing toward the cathedral at the top. The whitewash was traditionally reapplied regularly, originally believed to help control disease, and it still gives the town its uniform bright appearance against the surrounding olive groves. From the upper town there are open views out over olive terraces toward the sea.
Tip: Park in the lower new town and walk up — the 20-minute climb is part of the experience and no vehicles enter the historic centre · Arrive just after sunrise for long shadows and warm amber light on the white walls with virtually no other visitors · The Cathedral facade is best photographed from the piazza below in morning light; the interior is modest but the crypt retains notable frescoes · Book restaurant tables in the upper historic centre in advance for summer evenings — popular spots fill weeks ahead · Combine Ostuni with a visit to the Adriatic coast at Torre San Leonardo or Villanova beach (10 km) for a full day
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7
Basilica di San Nicola, Bari
This Romanesque basilica was built starting in 1087 specifically to house the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra, brought to Bari by local sailors, and it became an important pilgrimage site for both Catholic and Orthodox Christians, which is still visible in the church's dual-rite crypt used by both traditions. The plain, fortress-like exterior contrasts with the more elaborate interior, and the relics remain in the crypt below the main altar. It's one of the oldest and most influential Romanesque churches in southern Italy, and its design influenced other churches across Puglia.
Tip: Dress appropriately — shoulders and knees must be covered; scarves and wraps are available at the entrance · Visit the crypt early in the morning when pilgrims are fewest and the quiet atmosphere of the space is most apparent · The treasury museum has different opening hours from the main basilica — check the board at the entrance on arrival · Guided tours in English provide context essential to understanding the site's layered significance · The piazza is lively with a fish market in the morning — arrive early to experience both market and church
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8
Bari Vecchia (Old Town)
Bari's old town is a dense tangle of narrow lanes on a promontory between the modern city and the harbor, built up over centuries with the Basilica di San Nicola and the Cattedrale di San Sabino as its main landmarks. It's still a lived-in neighborhood rather than a preserved museum district, and the street layout was historically designed to be confusing to slow down invaders. In the mornings, women set up tables in several lanes to hand-roll orecchiette pasta, laying it out to dry in the open air.
Tip: Visit the orecchiette-makers on Strada Arco Basso between 09:00 and 12:00 when pasta-rolling is most active · Keep valuables secure in the denser lanes — the neighbourhood is generally safe but standard urban awareness applies · The old town is most atmospheric in the evening when residents are outdoors and cafés spill onto the small piazzas · Guided walking tours depart from Piazza del Ferrarese and last around 90 minutes — useful for historical context in the more anonymous alleys · Try sgagliozze (fried polenta squares) from street vendors near the Basilica for a classic Bari street snack
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9
Trani Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Nicola Pellegrino)
This Romanesque cathedral sits directly on the harbor edge, built from pale local stone that shifts color through the day. It was raised over an earlier church to honor a Greek pilgrim who died in Trani and was venerated as a saint, and its most distinctive feature is the bronze doors by Barisano da Trani. The building stands almost alone against the water, without a piazza of shops or cafes crowding its base.
Tip: Visit late afternoon for the most dramatic light on the facade — sunset turns the stone deep gold above the harbour · The main cathedral is free to enter; the crypt charges €2, which is worth paying for the hypogeum access · Combine the cathedral with the adjacent Jewish Quarter (Giudecca) and the medieval harbour for a 2-hour walking circuit · Trani is 40 minutes by train from Bari (€4.80) — a straightforward and highly rewarding day trip · The harbour fish market before 09:00 is one of the most animated in northern Apulia
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10
Otranto Cathedral & Mosaic Floor
Otranto's cathedral holds one of the largest mosaic floors surviving from medieval Europe, a single continuous composition laid in the 12th century by a monk named Pantaleone. It runs the length of the nave in the form of a tree of life, mixing biblical figures, zodiac signs, and scenes from Arthurian legend into one sprawling design. The cathedral also holds the relics and skulls of the town's martyrs, killed after the 1480 Ottoman siege of Otranto.
Tip: Morning light through the south windows illuminates the mosaic most vividly — aim to arrive at opening (08:00) · The €2 admission also covers the Chapel of the Martyrs — allow time for both parts of the visit · Photography without flash is freely permitted and strongly encouraged — the mosaic repays slow, attentive documentation · Combine the cathedral with the Aragonese castle and the old town harbour for a half-day Otranto circuit · Otranto is 40 km from Lecce by car (around 40 min); bus from Lecce takes approximately 75 minutes
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Practical information
What you need to know before you go.
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Tips for visiting attractions
Make the most of your sightseeing time.
Visit trulli of Alberobello before 9 AM or after 6 PM to walk empty streets. The FSE Ferrovie del Sud-Est train pass offers good value for multi-day trips across the Valle d'Itria. In summer carry water and a hat
shade is scarce on hilltop towns
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit the trulli interior in Alberobello?
Yes. Many trulli are souvenir shops or B&Bs and may be entered. The Trullo Sovrano (Via Cadore, Alberobello) is the only two-storey trullo and functions as a museum open 10:00–18:00; admission €1.50 (~$1.65). Trullo d'Oro (Via Cavallotti 16) also offers interior visits.
How much time do I need at Grotte di Castellana?
The short tour (1 km, 50 min) covers the main chambers. The full tour (3 km, 2 hours) adds the spectacular White Cave (Grotta Bianca), which is the highlight — worth the extra time and cost. Book the full tour online at grottedicastellana.it to guarantee entry.
Is Castel del Monte worth the detour?
Yes, particularly if travelling by car. The UNESCO castle has a unique octagonal form that is striking in person. The interior is bare but the geometry and hillside location are remarkable. Combine it with a wine stop in the Castel del Monte DOC area — Bombino Nero is the local speciality.