Bari

In the alleys of Bari Vecchia, women sit outside their front doors shaping orecchiette, little ear-shaped pasta, with their thumbs and leaving them to dry on wooden boards. The capital of Puglia is lively, down-to-earth, and an ideal base for a trip through the heel of Italy's boot. A vacation in Bari combines Romanesque churches, seafood cuisine, and excursions to trulli and cave towns.

The City of Saint Nicholas

In antiquity, Bari was a small port town; in the Middle Ages it was the seat of a Byzantine governor and a departure point for the Crusaders. In 1087, sailors from Bari brought the bones of Saint Nicholas here from Myra in Asia Minor, and the Basilica of San Nicola, a masterpiece of Apulian Romanesque architecture, was built over his tomb. To this day, Catholics and many Orthodox believers, especially from Eastern Europe, make pilgrimages to the tomb in the crypt. In May, Bari celebrates the Festival of the Translation of the relics with a historical parade and a procession on the sea.

Sights in Bari

The old town, Bari Vecchia, sits on a peninsula and is a tangle of narrow alleys, small squares, and chapels. Besides San Nicola, the Cathedral of San Sabino, with its simple Romanesque façade, is worth a visit. The Castello Normanno-Svevo, expanded by Frederick II, guards the edge of the old town. The Murat district, the 19th-century new town with its grid-like streets, is home to the shopping street Via Sparano and the magnificent Teatro Petruzzelli, which was painstakingly rebuilt after a fire in 1991. The Lungomare Nazario Sauro waterfront promenade is one of the longest in Italy.

Eating in Bari

Orecchiette con le cime di rapa, made with turnip greens, anchovies, and garlic, is the city's signature dish. For eating on the go, there's focaccia barese with tomatoes and olives, as well as panzerotti, fried filled dough pockets. At the old port, fishermen sell raw sea urchins, mussels, and squid in the morning, which you can eat on the spot with a beer. Tiella with rice, potatoes, and mussels is also popular. In the evening, the bars around Piazza Mercantile and Piazza Ferrarese at the edge of the old town fill up.

Getting Around and Excursions

The airport is about six miles northwest of the city and is connected to the main train station by rail. Ferries run from the port to Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Greece. Several regional rail lines open up the surrounding area: the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane takes you to Matera, and the Ferrovie del Sud Est runs to Alberobello with its trulli and into the Itria Valley. Polignano a Mare and Monopoli on the coast are reachable in about half an hour, and to the north lie the Cathedral of Trani and Castel del Monte.

Best Time to Visit

The best times to visit are May, June, September, and October, when the sea is warm enough for swimming but the heat remains bearable. In July and August, temperatures often climb above 86°F. Winter is mild and suits a quiet city break. On December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, the basilica draws large numbers of pilgrims. If you want to swim in summer, you'll find the city beach Pane e Pomodoro south of the old town, though the rocky coves of Polignano are prettier.