Bari city

Bari city

The gateway of Europe

Bari, the special city of Southern Italy

Bari is a very charming city, the third-largest city in Southern Italy, in order of the population.

It’s incredible the contrast between the folkloristic old town and the cozy city center, full of branded shops and polished aristocratic buildings.

Walking through the streets of Bari means feeling the local culture, history and tradition, art and architecture, but also typical food.

A bit of its history

Bari city, located in Puglia Region, Southern Italy, in the old days called Barium (Latin name) has been developed on the Adriatic coastline after the Via Traiana was built.

None knows the exact origins of the town, probably the Bronze Age or a colony of Crete.

Surely it’s developed under the Roman Empire. Then it was dominated by Arabians and Normans but, it reflourished under the Swabian domination when Frederick II has built the magnificent Swabian Castle as a gateway to the old town.

After years, all the impressive buildings on the beautiful seafront were built under the Fascist Regime. One of those is the majestic building of Fiera del Levante, the international fair which still gives the city an important and strategic role connecting all the Mediterranean countries.

Well, as y’all imagine, Bari is an ancient city featured by a rich history.


It’s easy to enjoy the city center and the old village by walk or riding a bike. These slow tours could be the right choice to admire the historical buildings, both religious and residential, rupestrian churches, and hypogea. If you need a suggestion about a company that can provide these kinds of exploring tours, we may advise you to contact Velo Service. They’re masters in walking, bike, rickshaw, and segway tours in Bari and Lecce.

While you stroll through the old town narrow streets, you’ll meet the magnificent romanesque Basilica of Saint Nicholas (the city’s patron saint).

It was built during the 11th century and remodeled several times over the centuries. It is a significant destination for religious tourism.

Pilgrims from all over the world come to Bari, especially from Eastern Europe, to pray on the foot of Saint Nicholas’s tomb beside the Russian Orthodox Chapel.

Few steps from the Swabian Castle and the Basilica stands another extraordinary sample of Apulian Romanesque architecture: the Cathedral of Saint Sabinus. The Cathedral, with its baroque crypt, it’s one of the most important jewels of Bari city.

The Murat district with its posh streets

Bari is also famous for its cultural and artistic scene.

Close to the old town, just on the border, there’re many heritage theaters.

The Petruzzelli Theatre is probably the most iconic for its history and color, but not much more than the Piccinni and Margherita Theatre that became a Museum of Contemporary Art.

Bari is not only art, history, and ancient culture. In fact, a great social life awaits you.

The posh Murat district is the modern city center. Via Sparano, Corso Cavour, or Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the streets around them offer many branded shops, attractions, cafes, and restaurants.

  • Petruzzelli Theatre in the old town of Bari city.
  • Detail of a Petruzzelli Theatre in the old town of Bari city.

Folklore and local food

Bari has its own culinary tradition.

Almost everywhere, you can taste typical Bari food. Focaccia, panzarotti, sgagliozze, popizze are examples of simple and humble street food, but many are the dishes and delicacies. You can taste them in almost all the restaurants, trattoria and osteria in the old town.

One tip for you!

Every Sunday, you can taste fresh and raw fish at a little fish market on the jetty Saint Nicholas, also known as N’dèrr’a la lanze. Here you can easily touch the folklore and local culture while you admire the docked typical fishing boats.

Well, writing about Bari city is hard, many places to visit and things to do here.

We live in Bari, and there are still places we never visited, but it’s an especial city.

It is a little melting pot: many cultures cohabit in this great city, even if it is a small city compared with the big metropolis.

Bari is our own city, and we recommend to sign it on your bucket list. So, come to visit Bari and its beauties.

To arrange a guided tour or have more info about specific places, just contact the local Info Point using the contact area below.

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Piazza del Ferrarese | 70122 Bari (BA)

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The tale of the Two Sisters


Traveling on the Apulian Adriatic coastline, in a few km from Lecce city, you’ll reach the marine area of Torre dell’Orso and the most famous Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

Are you curious to know something about that singular name?

Well, there is a nice and a bit sad tale behind the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle. This gives the location a huge air of mystery.

This marine area is very fascinating. Reachable walking through a little Mediterranean Maquis forest, under the cliffs there’s a sandy beach 800 meters long.

Slight white sand, clear turquoise seawater, warm enchanting sun, everything in the same stunning place.

But probably you’re still thinking about the tale, so, I’m going to tell the story.

The tale of the Sisters

« The tale says that once upon a time, two young sisters were living in the Salento area. They were very hard workers, and they had never seen the magnificence of the sea.

One day, to counteract the hot summer, they went toward the seaside for the first time. Well, they were so much fascinated by the amazing view they got there that the younger one dived from the cliff into the water. At that point, the eldest sister tried to save her, but it was too late.

They couldn’t get back to the shore. The Gods, looking at them: alone, desperate, and cute, decided to turn them into two beautiful rocky stacks in the middle of the sea.

A fisherman, while walking nearby, just saw two rocks rise from the sea. Since that day, the beach is known as Two Sisters Beach. »

The tale is very magical but a bit sad, and once there, it’s really hard to don’t get emotional.

Then, the clear seawater just completes the landscape.

Two Sisters Beach and Torre Dell’Orso

The Two Sisters Beach| ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | is located in the marine area of MelendugnoTorre dell’Orso. For the sake of completeness, we have to say that also this name has got a charming little story.

In this case, the name Torre dell’Orso, which literally means Bear Tower, derives from the sighting tower by the sea.

Then, on the cliff under the tower, there’s a rock shaped like a bear by the erosion.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

One day trip

If you want to get a fantastic and cool experience traveling on the Adriatic coastline, start your trip having a good breakfast in Lecce.

We advise you to ask for a pasticiotto and a caffè leccese: you’ll love them from here to the moon and back!

Then, drive from Lecce to Roca Vecchia village, where the amazing Poetry Cave | ita: Grotta della Poesia | awaits you for a nice dive.

After that, run towards the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | to get a relaxing swim into one of the most beautiful seas of Puglia.

In the end, reach Torre Sant’Andrea to admire the stunning view of The Sea Stacks of Sant’Andrea | ita: I Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea .

But if you have still time, don’t miss the weird landscape of the Bauxite Cave | ita: Cava di Bauxite | quite close to Otranto.

You can easily do this little itinerary on a one day trip. From the morning to the night on the southern Adriatic coastline of Puglia.

We did it and you find an article about our Road Trip in Salento on the blog!

Would you like to start your trip? Enjoy your One day trip to Salento!

Click on the map below to directly get the direction.

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Big news for you!

We’ve opened the first Puglia Poster Store!

We deliver posters in Italy for now, or you can catch them in Bari.

Starting from September 27th

Let us know if you live in the US or a European country and want to make an order.

We’ll set it up!