Salento, for me the most beautiful and charming place in southern italy

[julia90]

Sun, sea, wind. Nature strikes in the first place, when one gets to this land stretch in balance between two seas. Salento has its core in the province of Lecce, - a Baroque Florence in Southern Italy – and reaches the provinces of Brindisi over the Adriatic Sea, and Taranto on the Ionian Sea side. The cities and inland towns expressions of the unique Lecce Baroque with Messapi and Salento Grecìa can still be seen. Its language, songs and feasts still show the culture of Graecia Magna. Surf, kite-surf and windsurf lovers never miss the beaches facing the Alimini lakes, while scuba diving fans just have to choose among the several equipped centers and charming sea beds of the Ionian coast as well as of the area between Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca.

[julia90]

Salento, the heel of Italy, is nestled in the clear waters of the Adriatic and Ionian coast, where tall cliffs sculpted by the sea alternate with sandy beaches, green stretches of maquis and a small "eden" reachable only by boat.
A journey into the land of Lecce will bring the visitor from prehistoric civilizations, to medieval architecture and to the masterpieces of Baroque architecture of Lecce, from ancient traditions to the skill of master craftsmen.
All this seasoned with intense and genuine flavours, bestowed by this generous land and the loving work of man. Two seas make this part of Puglia a true paradise for those seeking a holiday of sun, relaxation and fun.
The Adriatic coast, with imposing cliffs and lovely bays nestled between the blue sea and green pine forests, offers an unspoiled landscape, in some parts still in the wild, with some areas of great natural interest, such as the Natural Reserve of San Cataldo and the Lakes Alimini.
Beyond the city of Otranto, bays, inlets, cliffs, natural caves draw the coastline, true delight for lovers of scuba diving. In Santa Maria di Leuca, the Adriatic gives way to the Ionian sea that laps the western coast of Salento, with beaches and seabed of fine sand, where the clarity of water evokes images of the Caribbean.
A harmonious landscape, with plains and gentle hills, occupies the heart of the province, rich in villages that testify the presence of man since prehistoric times. Ancient civilizations from overseas have strongly influenced the culture of these places, so much that in the Grecia Salentina (Salentinian Greece) the ancient Griko language is still spoken by the local community.
Plantations of vineyards and olive groves are geometrically shaped and outlined by low dry stonewalls built with the characteristic local stone that is also found here in the typical farmhouses and dolmens and menhirs, remains of the ancient Messapica civilization.
A history book in the open, where the chapter devoted to the Middle Ages is told by the ancient villages and imposing castles; the Renaissance, by the manor houses that, although to a lesser extent, recall the splendour and elegance of the capital.
The gastronomy is as varied as the landscape: oils, wines, cheeses, vegetables and fresh pasta are reminders of the good flavours of the past, achieved thanks to the handcrafted processing of raw materials.

[julia90]

HOW TO REACH SALENTO BY AIRPLANE


BRINDISI AIRPORT


Bruxelles-Charleroi (Ryanair)

Paris-Orly (Easyjet)
Paris-Beauvais (Ryanair)

Berlin-Tegel (Air Berlin)
Colonia/Bonn (Air Berlin)
Frankfurt (XL Airways Gemany)
Munich (Air Berlin)
Nuremberg (Air Berlin)

Girona (Ryanair)

Billund (Ryanair)
Stockholm-Skavsta (Ryanair)

Ginevra (Easyjet)
Zurich (Air Berlin, Helvetic Airways)

Eindhoven (Ryanair)

London-Stansted (Ryanair)



there is also the airport of Bari, but it's a bit more distant from Salento

[Sybilla]

Nooo, the most beautiful place of Southern Italy is the Amalphitan Coast! It's way too wonderful.
I don't like Apulia particularly, I find it gray and bare.

[julia90]

I like bare soils, fore example those of sardinia that in some places is bare, in other is rich of vegetation.. this soils are found also on the other side of the adiatic too.
Another reason i prefer apulia, sardinia is that they aren't overcrowed as costiera amalfitana, wich is a small hole full of tourists, even if its landscape are excellent

[Boreas]

Sicily or Salento?

[Salento]

Salento, for me the most beautiful and charming place in Southern Italy.

I didn’t say that, it was said 8 years ago, long before my time on Eupedia.

Lecce (LUPIAE) The Florence of the South :)

Salento has an Ancient Soul.

Salentini are known to be (Testi) Hard and Unbreakable!

[Salento]

Aremu rindineggra
(most beautiful Griko song)



I wonder ... (rondinella)

from where have you come

what sea did you cross ...

[Salento]

I said that the Salentini are “Testi” (Duri) hard and unbreakable,

Virgil said:
... but you oh Messapo, Tamer of Horses ... that no one, with neither iron nor fire can break down!

[bigsnake49]

My mother in law used to call my wife testadura which I guess she meant as stubborn and not in a good way.

[Angela]

My God, is it possible anyone is more "testi" than the Calabrians?

Not only "hard", as in the sense of "tough", mentally and physically, but STUBBORN!

Once he says something or takes a stand, it would take a bulldozer to shift him!

His aunt would show me pictures of him as a small child with a scowl on his face when someone was trying to get him to do something he didn't want to do.

He still gets it. I call it his "mule" face.

It's a good thing I'm someone who doesn't sweat the small stuff. I save the fighting for the "biggies".

[bigsnake49]

My God, is it possible anyone is more "testi" than the Calabrians?

Not only "hard", as in the sense of "tough", mentally and physically, but STUBBORN!

Once he says something or takes a stand, it would take a bulldozer to shift him!

His aunt would show me pictures of him as a small child with a scowl on his face when someone was trying to get him to do something he didn't want to do.

He still gets it. I call it his "mule" face.

It's a good thing I'm someone who doesn't sweat the small stuff. I save the fighting for the "biggies".

The Arvanites that I grew up with would give the Calabrians a run for their money. I grew up in a town that was 90% Arvanite. I spoke some when I was in grade school but then moved away. My father speaks it well enough to be able to communicate with Albanian workers. But I recognized it (Arbereshe?) when my wife and I walked by a maccelaria in Calabria this summer.

[Salento]

The “Testa Dura” (Stubbornness) of the Calabresi is famous in the World.

Salentini are able to change a little bit their general views of things.

(I think sometimes we just pretend that we have changed our minds (pick a battle thing) lol :)