Next May, my wife and I are going to "the heel of the boot" for the first time. With the exception of Venezia, we've spent our other trips in central and western Italy. After we leave the heel from Lecce (and then Bari) we will take the train up the eastern coast and stay in Rimini before turning west again. We prefer smaller towns - what are some recommendations for staying 2-3 days in some stops between Bari and Rimini?
Posted by
Washington DC
27122 posts
No longer on the coast, and just a tad beyond Rimini, but the highest possible recommendation: Ravenna. It would be a shame to be so close and not see the 6 or 7 medieval mosaic sites, plus the lovely historic district itself.
Equidistant from Rimini and farther from the coast is Faenza, a ceramic center, though I confess that I didn't find any shops open during my 2015 visit (probably on a weekend). But the ceramic museum is quite good. The town is "attractive enough", I'd say, so probably not a great choice for those not interested in ceramics.
Actually between Bari and Rimini, and still part of Puglia: the Gargano Peninsula. l passed through briefly on two occasions, but very long ago, so I don't have a specific town to recommend, but the area is scenic and there are small fishing villages. It's just a question of which are not over-touristed at this point. And things may still be slow in May, in terms of finding accommodations that are open.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2126 posts
We did this trip 5 years ago in the opposite direction, ending in Lecce.
I recommend a few days in Trani, a picturesque little seaport north of Bari. We stayed at Albergo Lucy. Daytrips you can take from from here using public transportation include Castel del Monte, and Margarita di Savoia, to see the salt plains.
A few hours north of Trani is Senigallia, a wonderful little Adriatic town filled with great restaurants, including two Michelin-starred places. One of our favorite towns in Italy, this is a charming place with daily markets that also just happens to have miles of white sandy beach. Possible day trips from here: Corinaldo (via bus) a lovely little medieval hill town with 14th century walls. Or Caverns of Frasassi, via train. After busy days of sightseeing, we loved coming back here, sitting at a table with our toes in the sand and a glass of wine in our hands. We stayed at Hotel Palace in Senigallia.
If you have not yet visited Matera, you should add that to your schedule too. You can probably get to Matera via bus or train from Lecce; stay two nights, then train to Bari and make your way north. We loved Locanda di San Martino in Matera — a cave hotel with wonderful underground spa.
And of course if you’re in this area you should see the trulli villages, ie Alberobella. Lots to see in Puglia!