We arrived into Bari‘s train station late on a warm Saturday evening in early June last year and after dropping our bags at our Airbnb, we headed straight to the ‘centro storico’ (historic city centre), walking through the modern part of town to get there - it’s really quite smart with lots of nice shops and cafés and it seemed the whole of Bari was out in the streets, like in most seaside Italian towns during the summer months.

I had reserved a table for dinner after having been told that restaurants at the weekend get booked up well in advance however in reality we could’ve taken our pick of one of the many restaurants dotted around Piazza Mercantile – it was busy with locals out enjoying their Saturday night with friends and family but there were plenty of options. We enjoyed a meal of traditional Puglian cuisine and then spent a few hours meandering through the old town watching families from the oldest to the very youngest still out enjoying the balmy early summer evening well towards midnight. Walking along the old city walls we came upon an alfresco nightclub that was just getting started with music pumping and lots of young people dressed up for their Saturday night out. If we were ten years younger and not ready for bed we were very tempted to join them to party under the moon and stars! Instead we headed back to our cosy Airbnb for a great night’s sleep and to make the most of our day in Bari the following day.

Of course we have travelled in and out of Bari airport many times on our journeys to Puglia but this was our first time venturing into the centre of Bari. We have also driven around the industrial outskirts of the city on most trips, which don’t look particularly appealing but any seasoned traveller knows that looks can be deceiving! We were delighted with our 24 hours in the attractive heart of the city, wish we had stayed longer (next time!) and believe Bari can easily compete with many other cities for a prospective weekend city break. Here’s why:

The beach

If you love a packed, noisy, vivacious Italian beach as much as I do, easy access to such a beach could be a key reason for making Bari your next city break! In just a 20 minute walk south of the city, you can reach Spiaggia Pane e Pomodoro which is a free for all, golden, sandy beach and another 10 mins on is Torre Quetta which is a pebble beach but more organised. We stopped at the first option and were delighted to find large groups of friends and family gathered together enjoying their Sunday afternoons. We grabbed a couple of chilled beers from the plentiful vendors and joined everyone else, happily people watching for a couple of hours. Truthfully this was one of my highlights from this break in Puglia as we don’t have enough beach time normally when we are in Italy; to have the opportunity of some beach time so close to the city is a real pull for us to return again and again.

Atmospheric centro storico

You can spend a good few hours wandering through the maze of old streets and piazzas watching normal life unfold. The city walls, which amazingly date back to the 4th century BC, are still in place and you can take a stroll along them admiring the view of the sea which surrounds the small peninsular where the old town is situated. Basilica San Nicola is the city’s cathedral which was built between 1087 and 1197, reportedly to house some of the relics of Saint Nicholas (AKA Father Christmas!) from the saint’s original shrine in Myra, in what is now Turkey. The cathedral is therefore an important pilgrimage destination both for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe.

Another impressive building is Castello Normanno-Svevo, a Norman castle which is worth a visit, although there are no viewing opportunities from the fortifications which is a shame. We walked to and from the station and our accommodation through the more modern parts of Bari where we found residential streets which were highly attractive, smart and clean; shopping streets with sparkling marble walkways, beautiful cafes and business fronts. The city feels clean, safe, not overrun with tourists and very welcoming.

The pasta making ladies in Arco Basso

Opposite the castello, is a small piazza, Arco Alta and leading from there is Strada Arco Basso where you can see one of the most popular sights in Bari: ladies making traditional Puglian pasta called orecchiette. It was great to see these highly skilled ladies at work but to be honest (probably because any TV chef who visits Puglia goes to see the ‘pasta grannies’ in Bari) we found the area too busy with tourists so we didn’t linger long however you should definitely try orecchiette while you are in Bari.

The food

This brings me on to another huge draw, of course of all of Puglia … the food, but what is special in Bari?

You have to try the focaccia – there are lots of ‘bread oven’ shops where you can buy this cheap and tasty snack but we got ours from Panificio Fiore on Strada Palazzo di Città and it was amazing (it went down so quickly I forgot to take a photo!). You can also find other street food such as sgagliozze which is fried polenta and popizze, fried pizza dough.

While we were in Bari the theatre, Museo Teatro Margherita, looking out over the marina, was showing an international photo-journalism competition which was absolutely fascinating and the shelter provided a respite from the midday heat. I’ve since learnt that outside the back of the building, next to the fish market, is the best place to eat fresh seafood every lunchtime, which explains the huge groups of families enjoying their Sunday lunch alfresco!

Crudo (raw seafood) is one of our favourite indulgences and Bari is not short of places to indulge! Some ambitious venues are trying out new ways of serving crudo (think poke bowls and seafood/fish panini) and we loved our stop at Pescobar on Lungomare Araldo di Crollalanza for a blast of fresh, zingy seafood!

Bari is the gateway to Puglia

So hopefully I have convinced you to consider Bari for your next city break or at least to stay a night or two before exploring the rest of Puglia. Getting there from the airport is super easy – there is a train station right next to the airport, literally 10 steps from the arrivals lounge, the journey takes 17 mins, the ticket is €5 per person and trains come every 20-30 mins – simple! The train station is 15 mins walk to the centro storico, and any accommodation is likely to be closer. We hopped on a train back to the airport to pick up a hire car before continuing our holiday and this superb train service makes that an ideal plan. From the airport you are straight onto the SS16 road if you’re heading on to Ostuni and the north coast of Puglia or onto the E843 if you’re heading down to Taranto and the south coast of Puglia. In fact, a day trip to Taranto would be a fab option to add to your stay in Bari – it’s just over an hour by train and you can read my next blog post to hear about the delights of Taranto!

Please message me directly if you’d like any tips on travelling to and around Bari or Puglia - I’d be more than happy to help!