Long Weekend in Puglia, Italy
Just as I moved back to Scotland at the beginning of 2025, a friend of mine went off to work in Rome for six months. So naturally, I had to take advantage and book a trip to Italy. I went in mid-May, which is a nice time weather-wise and avoids the worst of the summer crowds. Although it was still fairly busy, which I think is the case for much of the year in Italy these days. Now, I’ve been to Rome before, and she is reasonably well-travelled around Italy already. So, we decided to take a long weekend trip to Puglia, the ‘heel’ of Italy’s boot, where neither of us had been before. I flew to Rome for a couple of days first, then we caught a bus to Bari, our base for the weekend. And which conveniently has direct flights back to Edinburgh for me!
Day 1-2 – Rome
Since I’ve covered a lot of the major sights on my previous trip to Rome, I spent the first couple of days of the work taking it easy. It was actually a nice change, as someone who tends to cram in a lot of sightseeing, to have a much more laid-back start to a trip. My friend works as a guide, so she was able to meet me around her tour schedule as well.
We spent a good amount of time just strolling around the historic city centre, her occasionally pointing out some of the ancient architecture and ruins you find around every corner. Naturally, we passed a few famous sites en route too, including the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It wasn’t super hot, so it was very pleasant for walking. Of course, we broke this up with numerous stops across both days for pasta, gnocchi, pizza, gelato, tiramisu, espresso, wine, and spritzes. Italy is definitely a country to eat and drink your way through!
Aventine Hill
I saw a few locations that were new to me along the way as well. She was living in Trastevere, so just across the river sits Aventine Hill. May is the right month to visit the Rose Garden, next to the Circo Massimo, which is only open during the spring. Wandering amongst the flowers in bloom, with views of ancient Roman architecture in the background, is quite impressive! From there, I continued up and along the hill, through the orange tree grove of the Giardino degli Aranci. There is also a popular viewpoint nearby, the ‘keyhole’ of the Order of Malta. The queue of people waiting to take a photo through it was far longer than I had patience for, though.
Janiculum Hill
The following day, I also took a walk up Janiculum Hill, passing monuments and statues along the way. There’s a panoramic terrace at the top, offering sweeping views across Rome. There’s also a cannon just below the terrace that fires daily at noon, with the city’s countless church bells all ringing at the same time. I didn’t know about it at the time to watch, but was close enough to hear the shot as I started walking down the other side of the hill. Meeting my friend nearby after her tour, we went into the Botanic Garden on the lower slopes of the hill. There’s a small entry fee, then we roamed the pathways, admiring the many plants. It was a very pleasant, peaceful place to pass the time.
Day 3 – Bari
Our long weekend in Puglia began with an afternoon bus ride to Bari. The journey takes about five hours, driving through picturesque Italian countryside full of hills, fields, rivers and small towns. We arrived in Bari in the early evening and then had two-day trips planned to other nearby towns. So our time in Bari itself was mainly in the evenings each day. This suited us fine, though, as the town doesn’t have lots of tourist sights to tick off. It’s more a place for the vibes, wandering the narrow, twisting streets of its old, walled city. We definitely got a little lost in there a few times (which is fine if you’re not tired and hungry, as I was at least once).
We took a walk along the coast east of the city centre one afternoon, following the Lungomare di Bari pathway by the water. It leads to a small beach, but overall, Bari is a coastal city but not a beach one. There are a few historic buildings we wandered past around town as well, including the Castello and the Teatro Petruzzelli. The art installation around Piazza del Ferrarese was interesting too, more modern than the other attractions! We spent quite a bit of time in the Piazza Mercantile, which has many bars with outdoor seating around the square. And of course, consumed plenty more Italian food! Overall, Bari itself was a convenient base for our long weekend in Puglia, but not my favourite location compared to our day trips.
Day 4 – Day Trip from Bari
We took two different day trips during our long weekend in Puglia to visit other towns in the region. The first of these was an organised group tour by coach, departing Bari first thing in the morning. It took us inland to two of the most picturesque and historical towns, Alberobello and Matera. We’d opted to take the tour as public transport wasn’t feasible to visit both towns in the same day. The tour was mostly just coach transport (though you could pay extra for guided walks in the towns), but did include a small, written guide and suggested route through each town.
Alberobello
First up, Alberobello is famous for its many ‘trulli’, which make the town a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These distinctive buildings have whitewashed, rounded walls and conical, domed roofs. They are made out of stone without using any mortar whatsoever! Much of our time was spent simply wandering and taking photos of the pretty streets, mainly of them dotted with flowers or lined with bunting. Some of the trulli are now tourist accommodation or souvenir shops, though a portion remain as private residences. Obviously, some respect should be shown to the locals living here, subjected to all these visitors every day! I imagine it’s a totally different, much quieter place later in the day once the buses have all gone.
There are some particular trulli to look out for, such as those with symbols painted on their roofs on Via Monte Pertica. We also wandered up past the main church to visit Trullo Sovrano, one of the larger homes that has now been converted into a heritage museum. You can explore the various rooms inside, which still contain furniture and information signs. This trullo is also unique in having a second floor! There’s also a small garden out the back and a gift and bookshop. It definitely added a bit of history and education to our day. Then we headed back along Largo Martellotta, lined with cafes and restaurants, for a drink and morning snack while we people-watched in the sun.
Matera
The coach continued to our second town for the afternoon, Matera. On arrival, it seemed like any other Italian village, and we stopped for an outdoor lunch in the Piazza Vittorio Veneto. However, after eating, we quickly found a viewpoint that revealed the true draw of the town. The old town (Sassi di Matera) is built into two steep rock faces on the hillside, with buildings stacked down the sheer slopes. It’s really quite astonishing! We descended into one crater, wandering through the maze of winding, interlocking streets, admiring the medieval architecture. The cathedral sits perched above it all, a focal point from all angles. On the other side of the crater-like space, the ground drops away even deeper to a canyon with a river running below, giving the Sassi wonderful countryside views.
Cave Churches
Not just built against the rock face, the town actually burrows inside the hill, with ancient cave dwellings and structures hidden beneath the surface. There are various options for sites to visit, and we decided to check out the Chiesa di Madonna delle Virtù e di San Nicola dei Greci. Yes, it’s a long name! The entrance is near the bottom of the hill, and then you walk underground into the hillside. It’s a church and monastic complex, dating back to the 10-11th centuries, and has been restored since. We explored the many interlinked caverns, some of which now house art installations. While others still have remnants of ancient, religious frescoes visible on their walls. It wasn’t somewhere really on our radar prior to this whole trip, but was a fascinating surprise!
Ascending the hillside again, we had time to walk along the upper town to get a view of the second basin. We’d been so leisurely strolling through the first one, there wasn’t time to explore the other before going back to catch the bus! With a gelato stop en route, of course.
Day 5 – Polignano a Mare
For the second day trip of our long weekend in Puglia, we caught a local train ourselves, rather than book another coach tour. Just along the coast from Bari, we headed to Polignano a Mare, which is a proper Italian seaside town! I’ve spent basically no time on the coast during my previous trips to Italy (except Venice, which isn’t beach vibes). White-washed buildings atop the cliffs overlooking the dazzling turquoise of the Adriatic Sea, sun beating down from above… it felt like Italian summer! The town doesn’t have particular sites to go see, really, so we spent a leisurely day just roaming, eating, drinking and sunbathing.
Grottoes & Pools
We strolled the streets, admiring the architecture and browsing some of the shops along the way. There are some pretty nice clifftop viewpoints throughout the town as well, showcasing the steep drop to the sea below. After stopping for a morning iced drink, we headed down to Lama Monachile, a cove tucked into the centre of town, where you can access the water. The beach is pebbled and quite small, but it’s one of the most popular spots in town. We lounged in the sun for a while, enjoying some drinks and snacks, but it was too busy to get that close to the water.
Back above in the town, we stopped for lunch, making the most of being on the coast with seafood. The restaurant, Antica Trattoria Comes, was relaxed, the host was very welcoming, and the food was delicious, so I’d certainly recommend it! Then we continued along the coast, where there are more grottoes and a natural swimming pool, less busy than the town centre. We spread our towels on the rocks, took a dip in the pool – it’s slippery underfoot – then dried off in the warm sun. It was so pretty and peaceful, we were quite content to while away the afternoon there. Until eventually it was time to catch the train back to Bari again.
Long Weekend in Puglia
I love any kind of travel, and a week in Italy in spring is just dreamy. It was fun to see some different parts of Rome. And to have a more relaxed trip than a crammed itinerary of sightseeing. Then I was glad I got to explore a new region with our long weekend in Puglia. Honestly, it’s not a place that was on my radar until my friend suggested it! Bari itself was a little underwhelming to me, but it was a convenient base. And I thoroughly enjoyed our day trips! All three towns were so picturesque and lovely to explore. And all so very different to each other, which was fascinating to see across a fairly small area. The whole trip was a nice mix of sightseeing and relaxation. And a welcome break in the midst of a busy season in the rest of my life!
