Eupedia
Italy
Eupedia Italy Guide


Eupedia Home > Italy Travel Guide > Puglia

Apulia Travel Guide

Polignano a Mare, Apulia (©  Mi.Ti. - Fotolia.com)
Polignano a Mare, Apulia.

Introduction

Apulia (Puglia in Italian) is the 'heel of Italy's boot'. The region spans over 19,345 km² (7,469 sq mi), and its population is about 4.1 million. It is the largest continental region of Southern Italy and the second most populous after Campania.

Apulia was known alternatively in ancient times as Messapia, Calabria, and Iapygia. Before the Roman conquest,its inhabitants spoke a language related to Illyrian languages. Nowadays various dialects are spoken, such as Tarantino and Salentino in the south (both related to Sicilian), the Bari dialect of Neapolitan language around Bari, and Faetar, a rare dialect of the Franco-Provençal language, in two isolated towns in the Province of Foggia.

Apulia boasts many first-rate attractions like the superbly located seaside towns of Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Vieste and Peschici. The traditional trulli houses of Alberobello, dry stone huts with a conical limestone roofs, and Castel del Monte, the 13th-century castle of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Apulia is Italy's largest producer of oilve oil, accounting for 21% of the total production.

Attractions

North (Gargano Promontory)

Gargano National Park
Tremiti Islands, Gargano National Park (© Vaclav Janousek - Fotolia.com)
must-see The Gargano National Park, in northern Apulia, offers some of the most fantastic coastal views in Italy, a landscape of turquoise and deep-blue sea and white limestone rocks.
Vieste
Vieste, Apulia (© maurosessanta - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Vieste.

Other attractions

good Foggia
very good Monte Sant'Angelo
very good Rodi Garganico
Peschici
Peschici, Apulia (© maurosessanta - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Peschici.
Castel del Monte
Castel del Monte, Apulia (© nicky39 - Fotolia.com)
very good Castel del Monte.

Centre

Monopoli
Old port of Monopoli, Apulia (© Mi.Ti. - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Monopoli.
Bari
Bari, Apulia (© Mi.Ti. - Fotolia.com)
very good Bari.

Other attractions

very good Castellana Caves
very good Molfetta
very good Trani
Polignano a Mare
Polignano a Mare, Apulia (© mario montelatici - iStockphoto.com)
outstanding Polignano a Mare.
Giovinazzo
Giovinazzo, Apulia (© Mi.Ti. - Fotolia.com)
very good Giovinazzo.

South (Salento Peninsula)

Alberobello ※
Alberobello, Apulia (© Claudio Giovanni Colombo - iStockphoto.com)
must-see Alberobello.
Lecce
Roman Theatre, Lecce, Apulia (© Comugnero Silvana - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Lecce.

Other attractions

good Brindisi
good Taranto
Gallipoli
Gallipoli, Apulia (© imagemotti - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Gallipoli.
Otranto
Otranto, Apulia (© OFPhotographer - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Otranto.

Travel Community

Ask your travel questions on the Italy Travel Forum


Eupedia's Rating System

Cities, towns, villages & historic buildings

  • : Local interest
  • : Moderately interesting
  • : Outstanding place
  • : Best of the country - shouldn't be missed
  • : Best of Europe

Natural attractions

  • : Local interest
  • : Moderately interesting
  • : Highly recommended
  • : World-class natural attraction
  • ※ : UNESCO World Heritage site


Copyright © 2004-2022 Eupedia.com All Rights Reserved.