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Routes · Europe

Moscow to Puglia: Bari, Alberobello and Lecce

Moscow → Bari → Alberobello → Lecce

Bari
"Bari_-_Lungomare_Imperatore_Augusto_&_Mare.jpg" by Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Bari - Lungomare Imperatore Augusto & Mare (Bari)
Photo: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trulli, baroque & the heel of Italy Best season (general guide): Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

Puglia forms the heel of Italy's boot, a flat, sunny region of olive groves, white towns and two coastlines. This route spends seven nights between Bari, the Itria Valley and Lecce. From Moscow there are no direct options to southern Italy, so expect to connect through Istanbul or another hub, and check the entry rules that apply to you.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two in Bari: day one, Bari Vecchia; day two, Basilica of Saint Nicholas, then Polignano a Mare. Then spend days three and four in Alberobello: day three, into the Itria Valley, then the trulli; day four, Locorotondo and the valley villages. Then spend days five to seven in Lecce: day five, travel south to Lecce, then the baroque centre; day six, Santa Croce and the Roman amphitheatre; day seven, beach or coast day.

In Bari's old town, Bari Vecchia, women still make orecchiette pasta by hand on tables outside their doors. Visit the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, which holds the relics of the saint and draws pilgrims from both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. A short train ride south reaches Polignano a Mare, whose houses sit on cliffs above the sea.

Inland, drive through the Itria Valley, dotted with trulli, round stone houses with conical roofs built without mortar. In Alberobello, which UNESCO lists, you can walk through whole districts of them. Locorotondo, on a hill nearby, has a circular old centre of whitewashed lanes.

Further south, base yourself in Lecce, built from a soft, honey-coloured limestone that was easy to carve, with churches covered in baroque decoration. The facade of Santa Croce is the most elaborate. A Roman amphitheatre lies half-excavated in the main square.

Spring and early autumn are the best seasons. Avoid July and August if you can, when it is very hot and the coast is crowded.

Practical notes: regional trains link Bari with Polignano and the Itria Valley, but a hire car makes it easier to explore the smaller villages and reach the beaches near Lecce. Many shops and churches close in the early afternoon, so plan sightseeing for the morning and the evening.

Suggested outline

  1. Moscow

    Start

  2. Bari

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    Old town lanes, the Basilica of Saint Nicholas and pasta made by hand in the street.

  3. Alberobello

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Hundreds of trulli, whitewashed houses with conical stone roofs, in the Itria Valley.

    Alberobello
    "Alberobello_con_il_drone.jpg" by ParisTaras, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  4. Lecce

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    A baroque city built in soft golden limestone, with beaches on both coasts nearby.

    Lecce
    "Lecce_-_Santa_Croce_-_16.jpg" by Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Bari — Arrive; Bari Vecchia· Moscow → Bari (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Bari — Basilica of Saint Nicholas; Polignano a Mare
  3. Day 3 · Alberobello — Into the Itria Valley; the trulli· Bari → Alberobello (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Alberobello — Locorotondo and the valley villages
  5. Day 5 · Lecce — South to Lecce; the baroque centre· Alberobello → Lecce (overland)
  6. Day 6 · Lecce — Santa Croce and the Roman amphitheatre
  7. Day 7 · Lecce — Beach or coast day
  8. Day 8 · Lecce — Travel home from Lecce· Lecce → Brindisi (overland), then Brindisi → Moscow (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Bari

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Alberobello

Nearest airport: Bari Search fares · Bari ↗

Lecce

Nearest airport: Brindisi

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