how do we like Lecce in Southern Italy? Pros and Cons

Do you want pros and cons or "super positive"? lol
Lecce is gorgeous and I liked it so much I returned the very next year--the highest compliment!

We were disappointed in Lecce. We had spent a couple of lovely weeks in Puglia, with great experiences in Trani and Matera and on a masseria near Fasano. We returned our rental car in Brindisi and took a train to Lecce, arriving — starving — around 2:30 pm on a weekday in October.

We checked into our hotel & went looking for something to eat. Nothing was open … no shops, and definitely nothing food related. Not gelato or a bakery or sandwiches or pizza. It was like wandering around a ghost town. Finally at 8 pm (!) the restaurants opened.

Unfortunately this experience colored our impression of this city. We escaped on day trips almost every day, because the only places open in Lecce after 2 pm were churches. And after that first irritating afternoon, we had had our fill of churches. So we enjoyed a cooking class, and a winery tour, and visits to Otranto and Gallipoli, and little San Cataldo.

But if you go to Lecce, be prepared.

THANKS for the TIPS!!

How does Lecce fit in with your trip plan? And what are you hoping to find? There is more to Puglia, of course. And more to southern Italy, yet.

From our TR https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/southern-italy-30-days-three-ways-to-travel

“…our two full days in Lecce. This city is known for Baroque architecture and churches. Rightly so. Over the top, not necessarily elegant and rarely sublime. It was nice to slow down, enjoy the passeggiata, gelato, and relative lack of crowds. One highlight was the Museo Castromediano. Its archaeological section pulled a lot together. The amphorae (vessels transported by ship to trade or carry wine, olive oil, and pitch) were impressive, as were pottery, tools, funerary items, and sculpture from neolithic through Greek and Roman times. This was a very nice museum and echoed much of what we saw in the museum at Agrigento on our RS Sicily tour. While Agrigento may have had more artifacts, here we saw wonderful videos showing the marine archaeology and historical context for so much that we saw while cycling Puglia the previous week. The museum also had art from the 17th century that did nothing for us, as well as enchanting works by Puglian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.”

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We missed the Jewish Musem, which had closed for the day at 1 pm. In hindsight, I may have preferred a bit more time in Bari and a bit less in Lecce, but it depends on what you enjoy and what you are able to include in your itinerary. (We spent another 7 days or so in Puglia, in addition to from 3-1/2 days in Bari and Lecce, combined.)

Could you say where else you will go in Puglia??
I liked Lecce but depends what you like to do or see best.

We spent two nights there on our very first Puglia trip when we spent most of our time in the Salento.

The experience by Charlene listed above is typical for the Puglia towns we visited. Shops close around 1pm, restaurants after lunch around 2pm or so. Then everyone relaxes until the evening with stores not opening until 5-6pm and restaurants start to open around 7pm. In Lecce, for example, La Cucina di Mamma Elvira gets lots of favorable reviews and opens at 7pm.

We enjoyed Lecce a lot. Interesting architecture, nice restaurants, and a lively passeggiata. As a sizeable city it is also a transit hub which makes it easy to get out by train and bus.

Thank you all for all you detailed responses. Much appreciated

Has anyone taken the train to Lecce or from Lecce. The SUD line?
We are coming from Napoli to Lecce- and I understand there's a train change?

It will depend on your date and the train you select, but I did a dummy search on Trenitalia and see one example with a 20 minute change in Caserta. Choose your preferred time with the least changes.

We traveled from Lecce to Napoli last October by high speed train…one quick change in Caserta.
Very easy.

Great! Thank you