Top things to do in Apulia Italy in 2023

1) Bari

The capital of Apulia and a magnificent city with both many  historical buildings and tangled streets as well as new part of city full of modern architecture and cool places. And it is most likely the first place you will see, since the airport is here. some of the places I would recommend to visit there;

• Cathedral of saint Sabinus- this is a beautiful catholic cathedral built in Romanesque style between 12th and 13th century. It stands on a place of previous Imperial byzantine church, that was destroyed by William I of Sicily in 1156. It is dedicated to Saint Sabinus (a bishop of Canosa), whose relics were brought here in the 9th century. Throughout it's history the building underwent many renovations and reconstructions and nowadays is serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto.

• St Nicolas basilica- this church holds wide religious significance throughout Europe and the Christian world, since it is an important pilgrimage destination both for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians. It was built between 1087 and 1197, during the Italo-Norman domination of Apulia. Thanks to the the square appearance and two low massive towers framing the façade it has been several times throughout it´s history used as a castle. The Basilica houses one of the most noteworthy Romanesque sculptural works of southern Italy. It has a beautiful and ornamented inside that is definitely worth seeing. 

• Swabian castle- this epic castle/ fort was built by Roger II of Sicily around 1131. In 1156 it had been destroyed and rebuilt by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. Nowadays the castle serves as a gallery for a variety of contemporary exhibitions in the city. I personally visited the castle recently and I have to say I absolutely loved how they used modern technologies such as projectors and combined it with the old surroundings and interiors of the castle. The tickets were pretty cheap- kids (0-18 years) for free, students (18-26) and seniors for 3€ and adults for 8€.  I would recommend visiting for everyone who wants to enrich themselves with a bit of history and art knowledge.

• Theatro Margherita-  this is a former theatre on the sea cost of the city, that is today used as a museum. It was erected by architect Francesco De Giglio and it had been used as a theatre and cinema from 1914 to 1979. It is typical for its salmon colour façade and Beaux-arts style.

2) Alberobello

This beautiful town was founded in the 17th century. It is typical for the traditionally built stone small houses called trulli (=dry stone hut with a connical roof), which had been designated as UNESCO World heritage site since 1996. Alberobello is also a member of the I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy") association. overall even though it could be quite touristy, the atmosphere of this place is absolutely magnificent, almost surreal and it is definitely a must visit.

3) Matera

This is a magnificent old town towering above a canyon . You can get here normally by car, or, for the adventurers and more fit people, you can park a few km away and walk along the valley, enjoy the view to the other side, and then go through it across a small suspension bridge and then climb a lot of steps to get to the city. The city itself was built in ... century, so you can enjoy the wandering in the narrow streets. Moreover, It is part of UNESCO World Heritage site and many movies (such as James Bond, Wonder Women and many others) were filmed here. Basicaly it is very cool, so check it out there.

4) Ostuni

Also called the white city ("La Città Bianca"), Ostuni is an adorable small town placed on a hill surrounded by olive orchards. As the name says, the town is known for is white walls (fun fact: this comes from an plague era- all the houses where were infected people were painted white), which creates a beautiful contrast with the colourful doors and window shells. The centre of the town is considered to be the Freedom square (Piazza della Libertà), and the whole city is dominated by a late gothic Ostuni cathedral. Moreover, there is a market that takes place each Saturday on the outskirts of the city, where you can buy anything from fresh fruits and vegetables to designer clothes. Overall, perfect place for a one day trip.

5) Take a pasta making course

I mean, do I even have to add anything to this one? I am sure a lot of you saw the viral TikTok videos of people taking courses on pasta making and lets be honest- I cannot think of anything more aesthetical and with such a cool vibe than this. Learning how to make a homemade pasta from a local, drinking vine or champagne and just having fun with your friends, family, or just by yourself? Sounds amazing to me. For this one, it is probably a bit harder to find some open course right on the place, so I would recommend booking it through pages like GetYourGuide (I have the best experiences with this one) or others. 

6) Visit a local markets

Lets be honest, Italian street markets are such a vibe. How I already mentioned, you can buy here basically everything and I thing it is one of the best places to buy souvenirs and gifts. Most of the things sold there are locally made, or handmade, so you are also supporting the locals by this. These markets are in different cities each day so i would recommend asking a local for the closest one. And some typical things you can buy? Definitely pasta, which is typical for the whole Italy, anything from olives- you will find a lot of homemade olive oils and those are truly the best, or tomatoes- my father bought for example dried tomatoes and we just love using them for cooking.

7) Eat typical food

This of course applies to the whole Italy and I believe it is one of the many reasons why people travel here- the Italian food. Whether you like pizza, pasta, salads, or you are more on the sweet side- so tiramisu or panna cotta, you have to try it. And I swear it will be one of the most delicious thing you have ever eaten.

Some more tips

1) If you are flying here and you are planning to stay here for a few days and explore the whole area, I suggest renting a car. There is a train line from the airport, but it cannot take you everywhere (and especially not to those historical cities) and there are buses, but mostly in Italian, therefore renting a car is in my opinion the best solution. For this I would recommend site DiscoverCars- It compares the prices of different car companies and helps you find the best car for you and I found it very helpful and well organised.

2) Pack some walking shoes- I know that high heel shoes look amazing on the photos, but I assure you, packing a pair of a good shoes will save your holiday. In most of the cities old towns are streets made of stone, moreover they are often on a hill, so walking there could be very slippery sometimes, so I prefer to wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals.