Bari

Bari is a seaside city which has a port, a castle and a very interesting old town centre. Bari is on the southeast coast of Italy between the Salento and Gargano peninsulas. Bari is also a great place to start out your tour of the Puglia region.

In the historic town centre are many really good places to stay as well as inexpensive restaurants to get a real taste of Bari. Try the burrata cheese, fresh seafood and the local pasta dishes. In good weather there are plenty of tables outside the restaurants. Don’t miss the gelato shops for wonderful flavours of ice cream.

Medieval Bari was once enclosed by walls, some parts of which are still in evidence. The old quarter of Bari is a great place to stroll around and Bari Cathedral of San Sabino is well worth a visit for its architecture and also for the mosaic floor, in the crypt. The Basilica of St Nicolas is a magnificent building also and should be high on your sighteeing list of places to visit. The Castello Svevo built in the 12th century and later became a royal residence under Isabella of Aragon.

You must take a walk along the promenade, the Lungomare. In the morning the fishermen unload and sell their catch of the day at the little harbour near the Margherita theatre. It’s so interesting and there’s a great atmosphere.

For shopping try the Via Manzoni and Corso Cavour, two good streets for shopping. Via Sparano is a traffic free street with plenty of shops to browse in and buy from and runs between Piazza Aldo Moro and the old town.