What a difference a few years makes. Bari, on Italy’s “heel”, is speedily moving away from its reputation as a sketchy port city. Previously, its only draw was that it was the gateway to the popular region of Puglia; now it’s morphing into a charming Italian destination in its own right, with a vibrant, youthful population. The region’s mostly balmy weather has given rise to some genuinely buzzy outdoor spaces at restaurants and bars, complementing the busy beaches and traditional culture hits nearby.
With its reinvention almost complete, this coastal city has just hit that sweet spot where it has enough going on for a city break, while also offering a peek into an authentic way of life (don’t expect to hear much English spoken). If you’re heading off into the wider region by train or car, spend a first or last night here to get a taste of urban life or spend a handy night near the airport. This is the ideal time to pay a visit to Bari, whether or not the rest of Puglia is on the cards.
What to do
Get lost within Bari Vecchia
The jewel of Bari’s crown is the labyrinthine Bari Vecchia, its old town, where you’ll encounter surprises around every crumbling corner; be they ruins of an ancient church, makeshift kitchen cafes offering exquisite homemade snacks, or residents sitting on too-small chairs shooting the breeze. Within this maze, you may or may not encounter the Basilica San Nicola (a majestic church where St Nicholas’s remains are kept in the crypt below) and Bari’s huge cathedral, where there’s usually a wedding going on. In relaxed Italian style, you should be able to poke your nose in either way. If you don’t find yourself lost along the old town’s curving, narrow passages at least once, you may be too attached to Google Maps.
Crucially, be sure to stop off at “Strada delle Orecchiette” the “pasta street” nickname for the area around Via Arco Basso. This is where the life-lined women of the old town dry out their homemade pasta daily, and sell the finished product outside their modest homes.
A woman makes pasta along Strada della Orecchiette
(Andrea Ruggeri/ARET-Pugliapromozione)
Soak up some art and design
Piazza Del Ferrarese, the first and main square of the old town, has begun its transformation into a hub for art, design and culture. Stop by the Puglia Design Store, a treasure…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…