How to have fun in Bari and what activities to do in the city?

Visit the alleys of the Old Town

There's hardly an Italian city without a historic centre, and Bari is certainly no exception. Let the medieval atmosphere of Bari Vecchia, the local old town, take over. The intricate network of typically Italian narrow and winding streets will take you through the buildings dating back to the 10th century and still retaining their historic character.

Find accommodation in the centre

Most of the houses in Bari Vecchia date from the 16th to 19th centuries, and you'll also visit two of Bari's main monuments - St Nicholas Basilica and St Sabina Cathedral.

The centre may be small and compact in size, but thanks to the tangle of many streets, you can spend a leisurely day walking around and stopping at many typical restaurants.

Stroll around the sea

Bari is right on the shores of the Adriatic Sea and its long promenades invite you to stroll along the water. The most popular route around the sea runs from the Giradini Baden Powell Park along the Lungomare Nazario Sauro, followed by the circular promenade around the old centre of Bari Vecchia, the Lungomare Imperatore Augusto.

Follow it all the way to the new port, where you can admire the sight of the great ocean liners and from there retrace your steps back to the historic centre.

In total, this walk takes about an hour and covers over 3.5 km, see the walking route map.

The start of the walk to Giardini Baden Powell can be reached by bus lines 2, 2/, 12 or 42, for example.

Beaches and swimming

Even in Bari itself, if you're short on time, you can take a dip at the city's beautiful Lido di San Francesco, which is the perfect place to spend a relaxing half-day while walking around the city.

For the main Apulian resorts, however, you'll have to venture far beyond Bari's borders, with Polignano a Mare, Barletta and the Gargano peninsula among the most famous. You can read in detail about the options for getting from Bari to the resorts in the guide to Puglia.

A trip to Alberobello and other towns

As the largest city in Puglia and ideally located, Bari in particular serves as a great starting point for trips to the many beautiful towns in the area. Tips for single and multi-day trips:

• Alberobello - a small town with typical trulli houses, about 60 km from Bari
• Barletta - historic town and beach resort, approx. 60 km from Bari
• Gargano - national park with beautiful coastline and beaches, approx. 150 km from Bari
• Monopoli - historic town with beautiful coastline, approx. 50 km from Bari

You can read about other interesting places around Bari in the guide to Puglia.