Cities
Bari capital of the East, Taranto in the center of Magna Graecia, Lecce the baroque and Matera with its stones, all less than an hour's drive from us.
Bari
80 km - circa 1 Hour by Car
Anyone who arrives in Puglia should have a stop in the city of Bari. Just an hour's drive from Cisternino is the largest capital of the 5 Apulian provinces. The airport, the motorway exit, the port which is also the largest port in the Adriatic, allow you to reach Bari by any vehicles.
The city has developed along 42 km of coastline, is divided between the new area and the old Bari as well as the historic center, and is crossed in its religious and civil monuments, in its streets from different historical periods. From the Middle Ages, to the contemporary age, to the Second World War, this historyline attracts tourists from all over the world at any time of the year.
In Bari, in fact, you never get bored. In addition to the various social events such as concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, festivals and exhibitions so that the city has a full calendar of all year round. Daily you can participate in walking tours, bike tours and risciò tours in order not to miss the most important parts of the city. Buying a ticket you see the most historical momuments from the Basilica of San Nicola, to the narrow alleys of the ancient village where you can find souvenir shops, in addition to the Cathedral of San Sabino, to the Swabian Castle, to the Russian church up to the new part, the more commercial one of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza del Ferrarese, the art gallery, the Murat district and the Nazario Sauro seafront.
Full of food and wine excellences, among the things to do in Bari, there are also food and wine tours to discover the local specialties such as orecchiette with turnips, sgagliozze, fried panzerotto, fave purée, raw fish. During these tours it is possible to follow demonstrations of artisan pasta followed by tasting. All experiences are unforgettable full of emotions thanks to the folkrore and the warmth of its inhabitants.
Brindisi
50 km - about 45 Minutes by Car
Going down the Adriatic coast, the city of Brindisi also deserves great consideration. Born on a natural harbor, the flat land and karst nature allows the spread of olive growing, viticulture in fact here is produced the Brindisi Rosato DOC and the Brindisi Rosso DOC, fruit growing, but above all horticulture in fact Brindisi is renowned above all for the production of artichokes. Sheep and goat breeding is also widespread, from which quality cheeses are obtained.
Developed at the turn of different eras: Roman, medieval, contemporary; it represents another important tourist hub both by sea with the port and by air thanks to the airport with national and international flights. As soon as you arrive, taking part in tourist tours in Brindisi is simple. By purchasing a paper ticket at the info point or digital on the web portals, it is possible to discover the architectural wonders of the city and its historic center passing by the eighteenth-century Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Piazza Duomo, the filing tanks of the ancient aqueduct, the Roman columns , the Porta Mesagne, the Tancredi fountain, the Swabian Castle and the Alfonsino Castle.
Leaving the town, Brindisi is surrounded by many natural areas, as well as protected oases where bathing is prohibited but where outdoor entertainment activities are organized. The best known is certainly that of Torre Guaceto. The reserve includes 1114 hectares of surface occupied mostly by olive groves, where trekking routes, excursions, archeoworking workshops are organized for both children and adults all year round
Lecce
85 km - about 1 Hour by Car
Lu sole, lu mare, lu vientu. This is the welcome slogan when you arrive in Lecce and Salento, the most eastern part of Puglia where the climate is always mild, the sea crystal and very very calm, the sun illuminates the architectural wonders of which this area is plenty of. Capital of the Salento peninsula, Lecce is therefore recognized as a City of Art of Italy.
The triumph of works from the Roman era, the exaltation of the Baroque style have consecrated Lecce over time not only as a summer destination, but also among the most popular stops for Italian cultural tourism. Once in the capital, let be enchanted by the variety of colors and bright decorations with which the typical Lecce stone carpets buildings, balconies and streets are decoreted. In fact, there are many artisan shops where you can stop and see the rigorously hand-made processing of this soft and compact limestone with warm and golden colors. The perfect souvenir to bring at the end of your stay in Lecce.
There are many tours in Lecce organized either in the new part either in the old part, the more historical one. The old city is full of spiers, portals, churches that represents the maximum explosion of Baroque art. Crossing the ancient Porta Napoli, in fact, a must is to visit the Church of Santa Maria della Provvidenza, the sixteenth-century Palazzo Adorno, the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Assunta, the Basilica of Santa Croce, Piazza Sant'Oronzo with the column of the Patron Saint, Piazza del Duomo. The tour then continues to the Roman Amphitheater, the Castle of Charles V, the Church of San Matteo and San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, the Abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate.
in the summer, a dip in the localities of Punta Prosciutto, Punta della Suina, Porto Selvaggio and the San Cataldo nature reserve is very raccomended. The opposite pine forest allows picnics and entertainment for children and adults. Before leaving the city, is suggested to allow yourself be temped by tasting the famous sweet pasticciotto leccese or other salted delicacy such as puccia salentina.
Matera
90 km - about 1 Hours and 30 Minutes by Car
Revalued and repopulated after the election as Capital of Culture 2019, Matera is the provincial capital of Basilicata. Its proximity to the Apulian territory has made it possible in recent years to become a fixed stop for those who, from the heat of the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, decide to take a walk in the shade of the Matera stones.
Built on the Murge plateau, the development of the old city along the rocky and very inclined walls of the ravine transforms Matera into a suggestive and enchanting setting at any time of the day, often worthy of filming. Precisely the famous Sassi di Matera represent the main source of national and international city tourism.
Passing from Sasso Barisano to Sasso Caveoso, the walking tours in Matera include a visit to the Cathedral of the Madonna della Bruna which in the first days of July is honored with a folkloric patronal feast, the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi, the House - cave of Vico Solitario, the Casa Noha, the Palombaro Lungo, the hypogea. Other panoramic tours are also organized with electric rickshaws and with ape - calessino lasting 30 minutes upon reservation.
Definitely wilder are the electric bike tours on the Murgia. Reaching the Murgia Materana Park by bike, you can go to the discovery of ancient rock churches, medieval frescoes passing through the Tibetan bridge. Walking along the path between glimpses of Mediterranean scrub and limestone rocks, the view over the stones is breathtaking, especially at sunset.
In spring, an unmissable experience is the fascinating and romantic panoramic balloon ride of Matera. About two hours, two hours and and half for flying over the forests, streams, ravines and valleys of olive trees that surround the Matera area. Ancient and a variety of food, typical products of Matera to taste are: cruschi tomatoes, cialledda, broad beans and chicory, crapiata materana, all accompanied by the famous Matera bread.
Taranto
60 km - about 50 Minutes by Car
The city of Taranto is the main, as well as the largest, attraction of the Apulian Ionian coast. It extends along the homonymous Gulf of Taranto over three mainly flat peninsulas and is nicknamed the City of Two Seas due to its particular position between the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo.
Taranto is also the city with a bewitching historical charm. Founded by the Spartans, it wraps around itself the mysteries of a 3000 year long history especially in the Old Town. Once in the city, the first two things to see are the imposing Aragonese Castle that dominates and protects the Mar Piccolo and the Ponte Girevole that divides the new town from the old town.
Most of the walking tours of Taranto are organized right in the ancient village. Expert guides will lead to the discovery of the Cathedral of San Cataldo, patron saint of the city located in Piazza Duomo, to the hypogea of Palazzo di Beaumont-Bellacicco, or Palazzo Belli Monti of the Underground Taranto, to the columns of the Temple of Poseidon turning in the narrow and dimly lit alleys for the imposing civil and military buildings and palaces that overlook the streets until you reach the sea along the railing of Corso Vittorio Emanuele III or the promenade of Via Cariati.
The boat tours in Taranto, on the other hand, are aimed at discovering the Cheradi Islands and the Island of San Pietroduring which it is not uncommon to meet dolphins and snorkel to admire the seabed rich in Posidonia, starfish, sponges. However, if Taranto has become an important tourist center in Puglia in recent years, it is due to two attractions in particular: the Marta archaeological museum and the Jonian Dolphin Conservation.
The first is considered one of the most important national museums. It contains a collection of over 200,000 artifacts that tell the story of Taranto and all of Italy. Starting from prehistoric times, from Roman times to the late Middle Ages, the museum is a mystical and fascinating journey, especially when you are in front of the statues of the Venus of Parabita or in front of the Head of a Woman, symbol of the entire museum, or the other heads of Heracles and Caesar Augustus. Turning in the rooms of the museum you can not help but admire the marvelous Ori of Taranto as well as a collection of goldsmith works such as earrings, bracelets and necklaces and the statuette of the Zeus of Ugento dating back to the late-archaic period.
The second, the Jonian Dolphin Conservation is a scientific research association aimed at the protection and study of cetaceans in the Gulf of Taranto which, in its many activities, organizes documentaries and exhibitions to disseminate marine protection. At Expo2015 it was also recognized among the 21 Italian excellences. Among the engaging activities for tourists and locals, with specialized and experienced staff, the association organizes tours aboard boats or catamarans starting from the Molo di Sant’Eligio circunnavigating the coast practicing dolphin watching. Fun and relaxing experience for adults and children lasting about 6 hours.
