Our favourite places in Bella Italia - part 4
Puglia is one of many beautiful regions in Italy located in the very south of the country. A year before the Covid pandemic started, my brother-in-law Eddie and I booked a long weekend to explore this magic place together. This blog is a memory of a great time:
After landing in Bari, we drove straight to the seaside town of Polignamo a Mare. In March there are almost no tourists in town and it was already warm enough to enjoy a beer on the terrace with sea view – what more could we ask for! Later, we enjoyed a typical Italian pizza whilst chatting to the locals. If you’re looking for something a bit more noble to eat at, we recommend the Grotta Palazzese which is built in a fantastic location inside a cave.
Next day we visited the unique place of Alberobello. The drive inland was beautiful with many olive trees along the way. Alberobello is famous for its amazing Trullli buildings. A true but fun fact is that these houses were constructed in the 17th century without the use of mortar, in order to avoid paying taxes! It’s not surprising that this is a UNIESCO World Heritage site.
From here our journey took us to the Punta Prosciutto beach which is close to the wine area of the Manduria Primitivo. Some English magazines put this place on the list of the nicest beaches in the world. In my opinion this is a bit overstated but it’s certainly a very nice place to enjoy the sun and calm turquoise water. We were lucky to find an open restaurant right at the waterfront - as most restaurants were still closed in March.
Lecce: Florence of the South. This comparison isn't from an architectural point of view fully correct since Florence is about Renaissance architecture and Lecce is Baroque. Lecce’s center is charmingly beautiful and should not to be missed on a tour through Puglia. There are many bars and restaurants to enjoy so Eddie and I had ourselves a great time!
In the morning we went to see the Grotta della Poesia. I have seen pictures of this place packed with tourists, but again March not being the time for swimming so we fortunately had this beautiful spot to ourselves.
Our final destination was Matera – another unique place and must-see in Puglia. Matera was declared a European Capital of Culture in 2019. Around 70 years ago almost 15’000 people were still living in grottos carved out of limestone. There was no running water, electricity and the child mortality rate was high. As a result, the Italian government ordered the population to evacuate in 1952! It was only in 1986 when a law was passed to allow people to return. Nowadays, in my opinion, the town is one of the biggest highlights in Italy.
A truly great trip for a long weekend with many highlights! Thank you Eddie, for the great time!
Our other published blogs of the series 'Our favourite places in Bella Italia' cover the following areas (with links):
Part 1: Milan - Milano
Part 2: Venezia
Part 3: Amalfi
"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name"
(The Call - Thomas Osbert Morsdaunt, 1730-1809)
Travel blog and travel guide by Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker
© Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker