"Puglia on the Adriatic Coast and more" Top 5 Page for this destination Puglia by hquittner

Puglia (Apulia) occupies the SE (Adriatic) coast of Italy from Monte Gargano (the spur) to the heel of the boot and around the arch (Ionian Sea and gulf of Taranto). It is largely flat limestone and arid but now well cultivated thanks to a giant aqueduct from the Apennines.Wheat fields and orchards abound.Except on the Gargano peninsula there is little scenery. It has many ports and fishing. Most visitors only come to take ferries for further East (Greece and Albania) from Bari or Brindisi (or rapidly return and rush onward).There are beaches mostly frequented by Italians.

Plains of Puglia from Castel del Monte

You have to be into churches to spend any time in Puglia. The Normans conquered the area and hung out here. The Crusaders mostly embarked from Pugliese ports and returned here with their spoils (and an occasional loose relic).Finally the boy genius Frederick II loved the hunting on the plains and built his mysterious Castel del Monte here.(see a General Tip on Puglia for a bit about him).

Approaching the Castel del Monte

There are several towns to see South of Bari, but we were on a tour and visited only 2 sites, both of them famous tourist traps, Nevertheless they are worth visiting if you are in the area. The major one to see is the Trulli in and around Alberobello. The other is to see the caves that have developed in the limestone formation called the Grotte di Castellana. As caves go they are the least impressive of the 6 we have visited in our lives and are worth missing (unavoidable in our case). A trullo is something you must see and enter and you should eat in one that is a restaurant. Unless you have other methods available, the best way to see Apulia is by car. The driving is easy. (A stay in Bari apparently requires a secure place to keep a car and using it aroud town is not smart either. This is not personal experience. It is what guide books say).

• Pros:For lovers of Romanesque architecture (and sculpture)
• Cons:Travel if not by car is a challenge
• In a nutshell:A real taste of another Italy