Bari

Travelling from Bari International Airport Karol Wojtyla:

Taxis wait immediately outside the airport’s Arrivals Hall.

Amtab Bus No. 16 connects the airport and city centre, while the Tempesta Bus Co. runs to the main railway station. From that station, take bus nr 20 onwards to Bari’s cruise terminal.

Bari’s modern cruise terminal lies northwest of the old city. The port extends between Saint Cataldo quay on its western side and the newer Foraneo quay to the east.

Bari’s attractive old quarter can be reached from the harbour in (20 minutes) on foot, with shuttle services and taxis also available.

Download a printable map to carry with you.

Walking is the most rewarding way to see Bari.

Bari comprises several distinct districts. In the north, the tightly packed old town fills a peninsula between two contemporary harbours. Highlights include the magnificent Basilica of San Nicola, or Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035 - 1171) and Frederick II’s Castello Svevo; the area is now also a major nightlife centre. Its many ancient religious and historic buildings, including churches from the Middle Ages, preserve a distinctly medieval atmosphere. South of here, Murattiano forms the modern city centre with a rectangular grid layout...

Set in Italy’s heel, a region celebrated for beaches, hilltop communities and excellent food, Bari is becoming increasingly popular with visitors. It is Puglia’s commercial and administrative capital, a university city and southern Italy’s second-largest urban centre. Byzantine, Norman, Arabic, Angevin and Pisan influences from its cosmopolitan history appear throughout the architecture, particularly in the remarkable 12th-century basilica dedicated to patron saint Nicholas.

La città Vecchia, Bari’s old city, is a maze of narrow, twisting lanes containing the principal medieval monuments. These include the Swabian castle, the Cathedral of San Sabino, the Basilica of San Nicola and numerous other churches. Il Castello svevo, or Norman-Swabian Castle, was started by Roger II in 1139. Bari’s residents destroyed it at least twice while resisting Norman rule, before Frederick II rebuilt almost the entire structure between 1233 and 1240.

Basilica di San Nicola was built from 1087 to 1197 and has long housed the remains of San Nicola, also known as Santa Klaus. Serving both Catholic and Orthodox worshippers, it draws pilgrims from around the world each year. Price: entry is free.

Cattedrale di San Sabino was first constructed in Byzantine form in 1062, then rebuilt in Romanesque style in 1170 after William the Evil destroyed it in 1156. Price: entry is free. Bari’s oldest festival honours Saint Nicholas on 8 May with a vivid, noisy parade, preceded by the Processione dei Pellegrini as pilgrims process towards the sea. Easter brings a week of solemn brass bands, religious icons and parades. The newer Fiera del Levante celebrates Bari’s trading relationship with the East, while a broad programme of music runs throughout summer...

Small sightseeing trains wait in Bari near the harbour, about 5 to 10 minutes on foot from the berth. Their hour-and-a-half circuit explores old Bari and finishes back at the ship, costing 15 Euro.

Puglia, and the Terra di Bari in particular, is rightly known for Romanesque churches and cathedrals. Altamura, Barletta and Bitonto are recommended destinations, reached from Bari on a slow but scenic local train. Dramatically positioned on the High Murge escarpment, Altamura is also famed for bread. The bakers of the Città del Pane recently received DOP protection for loaves distinguished by a crisp, thick crust and deep-yellow crumb. Sample them at Fratelli di Gesù’s bakery and shop, via Eleonora Pimentel 17, Altamura, telephone 080 314 1213.

Traditionally considered a gateway to the Greek Ionian islands, the hot port city of Brindisi lies about 60 miles south of Bari and has frequent ferries to Corfu, Patras and Igoumenitsa. It now also welcomes holidaymakers staying in trulli, the whitewashed, beehive-shaped homes associated with southern Puglia.