Travelling Around the Heel of Italy – Part 1

What do Apulia and Basilicata have to offer?

At first, I thought whether I should set off with my own car or go by plane. The first option obviously offers greater flexibility, but road tolls and petrol are very expensive in Italy, plus the ride would take me quite long, so I chose the plane. I had a little easier time making the decision because I got a plane ticket from Vienna for just 15 euros. I flew to Bari, so it made sense for me to see the largest city on the Adriatic coast, and I also stopped at the small town of Alberobello, which I heard a lot about. Since I had one whole day for sightseeing, I looked up two destinations on the internet, which, in my opinion, would be worth visiting. The above three places were therefore joined by Lecce and Polignano a Mare. So, let’s travel to the southern Italian regions of Apulia and Basilicata.

A port with an authentic old town

Bari is the capital of Apulia and has a population of about 300,000. Together with Naples, it’s one of the centres of southern Italy. Since it’s a port city, my expectations were low, but I was still fascinated by Bari. I would hardly call Bari Vecchia – the old town – charming, since the buildings are in dire need of renovation, but there was still a special atmosphere I was drawn to. The whole thing is an interlacement of narrow streets, at the corners of which you can find religious statues and paintings, reflecting the Catholic denomination of the city’s inhabitants. While walking around the old part of Bari, one gets the feeling they’re somewhere in a village of sorts and not in a large city, since the southern Italian vibes can be felt at every step. Children are chasing the ball and there are loud voices coming from the numerous balconies adorned with laundry hanging from them, and these voices are those of the locals who are very vocal, as befits the local temperament. Bari’s main attraction is the Basilica of Saint Nicholas or Basilica di San Nicola, which houses a tomb of the said saint. His remains were brought there from the area of present-day Turkey. An essential stop for every visitor is Strada delle Orecchiette, a street where local women wearing aprons hand produce the traditional pasta called “orecchiette” (and having a lively conversation while doing it) at their own doorsteps. The name of the pasta means “little ears”. You can get lost easily in this mosaic of streets, which are closed for traffic, so it’s not always easy to find the new part of Bari that’s distinguished by its wide and straight streets, surrounded by more modern buildings with numerous restaurants and shops, even the famous designer outlets.

Taking the train and heading south along the Adriatic coast

The places along the Adriatic coast are linked by train, which is the most comfortable option when visiting Lecce and Polignano a Mare. Lecce is the fifth largest city in Apulia, and it has an imposing nickname, since it’s called the Florence of the South due to the baroque architecture. It’s true that there are quite a few 17-century baroque buildings in the city, but while walking around, I didn’t really get the feeling that Lecce could compete with the famous gem of Tuscany. The place with its two-thousand-year history is home to an amphitheatre and numerous churches, the most well-known of which is the most photographed Basilica di Santa Croce or Basilica of the Holy Cross. It has a richly adorned façade with sculptures of both animal and plant motifs.

The coastal Polignano a Mare will surprise visitors with its location atop twenty-metre-high cliffs that rise above the Adriatic Sea, justifying the name “Polignano-on-Sea”. It’s a pleasure to walk down the narrow streets of this charming resort whose origins reach as far back as the 4th century BC, when the Ancient Greeks founded their colony here. There’s a wonderful view of the blue sea and the coast from the viewing terraces, and you can see all the way to Lama Monachile Beach that’s squeezed between steep built-up rocks. A popular spot for visitors is the statue of Domenico Modugno, the author of the famous Volare, as he was born in Polignano.

And it’s with Polignano that I conclude the first part of my article about my autumn trip. The next part will be about my stop-off in Apulia and in the final part I’ll talk about Matera. Come and join me in the second part.