Apulia (Italian: Puglia) is a region of Southern Italy. It has 4 million inhabitants and is the easternmost region of the country, reaching a distance of only 72 km (45 miles) from Cape Otranto in the coasts of Albania.

Provinces

The region is divided into six provinces:

Metropolitan City of Bari (BA) The famous "Trulli" of Alberobello, picturesque old town of the capital with its vibrant nightlife, characteristic old ports.

Barletta-Andria-Trani (BT) The majestic Castel del Monte, enchanting old towns on the Adriatic Sea rich of churches and castles.

Brindisi (BR) The "white town" of Ostuni, inland towns full of interesting architecture, Brindisi port with ferries to Albania and Greece.

Foggia (FG) Gargano National Park with Tremiti islands, small medieval villages in the Apennines and relevant religious sites and itineraries.

Lecce (LE) The impressive Baroque architecture of Lecce, small towns rich with festivals and traditions, wonderful beaches and caves to explore, expanses of olive trees.

Taranto (TA) Historic centre and museums of Taranto, Messapian and Greek archaeological sites and many beach resorts.

Cities

Night view of Piazza Duomo in Lecce

• 1 Bari — (capital) the largest city on the Adriatic Sea, with an enchanting old town containing Romanesque churches and many elegant buildings
• 2 Altamura — in the Alta Murgia National Park, famous for its Romanesque cathedral, prehistoric sites and its typical bread
• 3 Brindisi — elegant seafront on the Adriatic Sea, Roman age remains and two castles situated in front of the sea
• 4 Foggia — main centre of a plain called the Tavoliere delle Puglie (Table of the Apulias), ancient Swabian imperial town
• 5 Lecce — called the "Florence of the South" for its magnificent baroque churches and buildings, it also has Roman theater and amphitheater
• 6 Martina Franca — main centre of Itria Valley with an old town characterised by typical white houses
• 7 Monopoli — beautiful medieval port town on the Adriatic coast
• 8 Ostuni — magic locality known as the "white town" for the color of its historical centre's houses
• 9 Taranto — ancient Greek city with a relevant National Archaeological Museum (MArTA) and many sights of different ages

Other destinations

Castel del Monte

• 1 Alberobello — (literally "beautiful tree"), magical village known in the world for its famous "trulli" (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 2 Andria — home of the medieval fortress of Castel del Monte, built by Emperor Frederick II (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 3 Gallipoli — (meaning "beautiful city"), a fascinating old town situated on an island and sandy beach resorts
• 4 Monte Sant'Angelo — characteristic village situated on the Gargano promontory, with the Longobard Sanctuary of San Michele (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 5 Otranto — the easternmost town of Italy and one of its most beautiful villages
• 6 Specchia — one of Italy's most beautiful villages, in the heart of Salento
• 7 Tremiti Islands — stunning archipelago in the Adriatic Sea

Understand

Apulia is sometimes referred to as "the heel of Italy", in reference to the country's boot-like shape.

Tourist information

• Apulia Tourism website

Talk

The castle of Corigliano d'Otranto (Choriàna) where Griko language is still spoken

Italian is the only language you will find useful to know for easily discovering Apulia, especially since the knowledge of English is frequently a bit inadequate.

In the central-northern area of Apulia people speak also local varieties of the Neapolitan language. In Salento, the Salentino (Salentìnu) dialect of the Sicilian language is spoken. Neither of these are officially recognised languages, so visitors will not find any bilingual sign, though some restaurants and diners have names in these languages. Trying to understand the speech of local people, especially the elderly ones, may be fun and will give you the possibility to fully appreciate the identity of this region.

The Italian Constitution recognises three linguistic minorities in the region: Griko (a variant of Greek language) spoken by 10,000 people in nine towns south of Lecce; Arbëresh (Albanian) in three scattered towns; and Franco-Provençal, which is spoken by fewer than 1,000 people in two small mountain villages (Faeto and Celle San Vito) between Foggia and Irpinia. Each of these languages is the result of medieval settlements and they are now used by municipalities mainly for local events or tourist brochures.

Get in

By plane

International flights are offered to the airports of Bari, Brindisi and Foggia. Airports near the region are in Naples, Rome, Salerno, Pescara and Lamezia Terme.

By train

Train from Rome can take about 6 hours and is usually very packed. Don't forget to validate your ticket!

Trains from Milan are both high-speed to Bari and Intercity to Lecce and Taranto (usually around 7-8 hours of travel). A good value for your money can be a “Intercity notte”, a sleeper train that departs from Milan in the evening (around 9-10 PM), stopping also in Bologna, Ancona and other more minor centres in the north, before reaching Foggia at 6 AM, then the rest of the coastal cities, to terminate at Lecce at 8:30 AM. These trains can cost anywhere from €35 (seat, booked two months in advance) to €200 (sleeper single cabin, usually with breakfast service included) and are usually on time, excluding serious external events.

By car

The region is served by two "autostrade" (toll motorways):

• — Adriatic Motorway, links Bologna to Taranto passing through the major towns of northern and central Apulia
• — Motorway of the Two Seas, links Naples to Canosa passing through the Apennines

For more info you can check the site of Autostrade per l'Italia.

By bus

Autolinee Marino is a bus company who offers efficient and affordable links from the mayor cities of Apulia to different destinations in Italy and Europe, such as Frankfurt, Grenoble, Lyon, Munich, Stuttgart, Zurich and others.

Marozzi is a daily bus service speedily linking Apulia with Irpinia, Campania and Rome.

Miccolis lines provide connections from many towns of the region to nearby Basilicata. This company also performs useful urban and intercity services.

By boat

There are many ferry companies providing service several times daily from Greece (Cephalonia, Corfu, Igoumenitsa, Patras, Zante) to Bari and Brindisi.

Get around

By rail

Many destinations in Apulia can easily be reached by rail. The region is connected to the rest of Italy via high-speed and InterCity (regional) trains that run along the Adriatic coast from Foggia in the North to Lecce in the South. Private railways also operate in the region and provide passenger service to towns further inland. Bari, the regional capital is well served with multiple lines running from Bari Centrale.

Tickets for Italo and Trenitalia may be purchased online and at ticket machines located in railway stations. However, other railway operators may require you to purchase tickets in station only. It's possible and recommended to purchase return and forward tickets in advance to save time and in case ticket offices are closed in smaller stations. Local trains do not usually require you to select a particular time (only a particular day) so purchasing in advance does not affect flexibility much.

The following services operate in the region:

• Italo — high-speed services terminating at Bari Centrale using Trenitalia tracks
• Trenitalia — high-speed and InterCity services via the Adriatic Railway
• Ferrotramviaria — operates the Bari-Barletta railway and the Bari Metropolitan Railway
• Ferrovie Appulo Lucane — connects Bari with Matera in Basilicata via Altamura

• Ferrovie del Sud Est — connects the cities of Bari and Lecce with various towns inland and along the Ionian Coast

Note that services offered by private railway operators may not appear in navigation apps. You may save time and money by checking to see if a town is served by one of the railways before booking a coach bus. Always check the operator's website for the most up to date schedule.

By car

Strade statali (trunk roads) can be used for reaching internal destinations or the surrounding regions:

• — Via Appia, links Taranto to Brindisi
• — Salentina, links Taranto to Lecce
• — Adriatica, links the Gargano area to Otranto
• — Strada delle Puglie ("The road of Apulia's"), links Foggia to Irpinia and Naples
• SS Bari-Lecce — a useful divided highway to reach the Salento area from the regional capital
• — Salentina di Gallipoli, links Lecce to Gallipoli
• — Jonica, links Reggio di Calabria to Taranto along the Ionic coast
• — dei Trulli, links Casamassima to Taranto through the Itria Valley and the towns of Alberobello and Locorotondo
• — Salentina Meridionale, links Gallipoli to the southernmost tip of Apulia

See

Faeto, a small mountain village astride Apennines. Here people speak a Franco-Provençal dialect and produce delicious hams.

There are many things worth seeing in Puglia, especially the Trulli in Alberobello and other places, the cathedral of Trani, the old town in Bari, and the beaches of Monopoli.

Forests and mountains cover Gargano ("the spur of Italy") and Daunian Apennines, on the border with Irpinia. Other popular tourist sights are the Castellana Grotte, the Castel del Monte, the castle of Frederick II, Polignano a Mare, Ascoli Satriano, Conversano, Martina Franca, and Ostuni, the "white city".

Santa Maria al Bagno is a small fishing village, district of Nardò, on the coastline of the Gulf of Taranto, on the west coast of the Ionian Sea. It has beautiful unspoilt beaches all along the coast. Santa Maria al Bagno is approximately 45 min travelling time by car from Brindisi and 1h 30 min from Bari.

Do

Take a bike tour along the coast. Apulia has an extensive network of small country lanes making it ideal for biking.

Festivals

Notte della Taranta final concert in Melpignano

Some annual events are really not to be missed, the most relevant ones are:

• Notte della Taranta (Night of Tarantula), ☏ +39 0836 439008, nottedellatarantapress@gmail.com. A large itinerant festival of popular Salento music (Pizzica and Taranta) that takes place in the first half of August, culminating in a final open-air concert in the municipality of Melpignano, province of Lecce. The night of the great concert (concertone) has each year a different national-famous music director and involves more than 100.000 spectators. (updated Jun 2018)

A large number of minor local festivals (sagre) take place in every area of the region, especially during the summer season, representing a truly immersive way to discover local food and music.

Eat

Traditional Apulian produce are orecchiette (a type of pasta), caciocavallo (a sheep cheese) and prosciutto di Faeto ("Faeto's ham").

There are a number of lovely places to eat in Casalini near Cisternino, which are reasonably priced compared to the tourist city of Ostuni.

Stay safe

The region is definitely a safe place to visit. Pickpocketing can be a minor risk in cities such Bari, Foggia and Taranto.

Go next

Ariano Irpino (named as Ariano in Apulia until 1930) is a town located astride the Apennines along the SS90 connecting Apulia to Naples, the ancient kingdom's capital.

Matera just across the border in neighbouring Basilicata is worth visiting if you have a few more days in Southern Italy. The city is built in and around a rocky outcrop overlooking the picturesque Torrente Gravina. Its beauty cannot be overstated and is easily reachable by road via the SS96 or by rail by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane.