It is difficult to separate the region of Basilicata from Puglia when visiting southern Italy. These two regions, located in the east, in the heel of the Italian boot, are truly delightful and offer plenty of beautiful things to see and do.
To save you from spending ages searching for the must-sees of these two beautiful regions, we’ve compiled the best right here: the unmissable spots, both in terms of places to visit and specialties to taste. So, get ready!
Lecce is a charming city in Puglia, where it's a pleasure to stroll around. The facades are very aesthetic, thanks in particular to the limestone used throughout the city. This harmony is evident among all the palaces, churches, and baroque historical monuments found in the city.
At every corner, you'll come across beautifully sculpted facades. It's truly enjoyable to get lost in the streets and discover Lecce in this way.
The churches, palaces, and monuments are, of course, open to visitors. The only downside (if you can call it that) is that many of the churches require an entrance fee. However, the good news is that there is a low-cost ticket that covers multiple visits. For just €9, you can visit the Duomo and its crypt, the MuDAS (Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art), the Church of San Matteo, the Church of Santa Chiara, and the Basilica of Santa Croce.
The most impressive facades in our view are the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Duomo of Lecce. We didn’t visit the interiors, but they are surely worth it (and the cost).
During your visit, make sure not to miss:
In Lecce, we parked at the Viale dell’Università parking. It costs €0.60 per hour. It’s very reasonable and less than a 10-minute walk from the historic center.
GPS coordinates of the parking lot: 40.352393, 18.165007.
If you want to rent a car to get around the region, we recommend using DiscoverCars. This platform offers the best rentals: competitive prices and conditions, with unlimited mileage, partial coverage included, and theft protection.
And you can check out accommodations in Lecce and the surrounding area just below:
Alberobello is a stunning little village, unique and typical of Puglia, nestled among olive groves. This one-of-a-kind village is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
What makes it so special are its traditional dwellings called Trulli (plural) or Trullo (singular). These are small, round stone houses whitewashed with lime, featuring a pointed dome roof made of dark stones. Often, a symbol (mythological, magical, or religious) adorns the roofs as a form of protection for the inhabitants.
Today, two neighborhoods stand out in the old town: the Monti district, which is commercial and very touristy, with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and artisans; and the Aia Piccola district, much more authentic and still inhabited by some locals.
It is very pleasant to stroll through both neighborhoods, each with its own distinct ambiance. The tourist area feels more lively, picturesque, and well-maintained, while the second neighborhood is much calmer and more charming.
What we liked, in addition to the old town, is seeing the coexistence of modern homes and trulli. It’s a rather surprising blend of past and present that works quite well.
In Alberobello, we found a free parking spot at Parcchegio Largo Via Filippo Turati which is a 10-minute walk from the Trulli.
GPS coordinates of the parking lot: 40.788576, 17.237271.
Just a few kilometers from Alberobello, still among the olive groves, is Ostuni. Also known as the White City, Ostuni has a charming Greek-like atmosphere.
The white facades line the narrow streets, with occasional touches of color on the doors and shutters. Much like in Greece, stray cats wander here and there, and it’s easy to get lost in the alleys while exploring the historic center.
We were enchanted by Ostuni as soon as we arrived in the city. The music from the bars and restaurants on Piazza Sant'Oronzo is welcoming and very pleasant. You’re immediately transported and really feel like you’re on vacation. All you want to do is settle on a terrace and sip a nice cocktail.
The old town is dotted with charming little artisan shops selling all sorts of souvenirs, as well as olive oil, almonds, and other culinary specialties from Puglia. You can also find small restaurants and cafes where you can sample local specialties.
For our part, we tried the granita alla mandorla (almond granita) as well as the flavor of the day, which was “Gelsi,” or “white mulberry,” at Cremeria Borgo Antico. It was delicious!
The parking we found in Ostuni was free when we visited (late April), but it is usually paid (we don’t recall the exact price). It’s the Parcheggio Comunale. It’s large with plenty of spaces and less than a 5-minute walk from the center.
GPS coordinates of the parking lot: 40.732638, 17.581214.
We’re shifting slightly regions with Matera, as it’s no longer in Puglia but in Basilicata. It’s still a must-see if you’re in the area!
This city, perched on a plateau in the Murgia National Park in Basilicata, has a remarkable historic center that is truly worth a visit.
Full of charm, the city is primarily known for its Sassi (Sassi di Matera). If that doesn’t ring a bell, don’t worry. It literally means “Stones of Matera,” which are essentially cave dwellings carved into the rock.
This city, built on the side of a cliff, is actually a collection of cave dwellings, shops, churches, monasteries, and hermitages that date back over two millennia.
This makes Matera one of the oldest cities in the world (with its earliest inhabited areas dating back to the Paleolithic), and it is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
As a fun fact, several films have been shot in this city, including Wonder Woman in 2017 and James Bond: No Time to Die in 2021, among the more recent ones.
This unique place is best explored on foot. It’s enjoyable to get lost in the narrow streets, among the many churches, small shops, and beautiful viewpoints overlooking the city, the Murgia Materana Park, and its rock-hewn caves.
As a bonus, you can easily drive to the other side of the "canyon" that separates Matera from the natural park to explore the park and enjoy another stunning viewpoint of the city.
Be careful not to make the same mistake we did—don’t judge the city by its appearance when you first arrive, as you might be disappointed. You really need to go further, because what we’re describing here is only the old town, which lies behind the more modern part of the city (which isn’t all that charming…).
We couldn’t find a spot in the two free parking lots we had scoped out in Matera: Sentiero Parco IV Novembre and Via Ferruccio Parri, so we went to theParking Via Saragat. We paid €0.50 per hour, and it’s a 15-minute walk from the center. However, on the way, we noticed another parking lot at the same price and closer: Parcheggio - Stazione Centrale/Tribunale.
GPS coordinates of the parking lots:
Pietragalla, also located in the Basilicata region, is truly an extraordinary place. This town of 3,000 inhabitants hides a sort of "hobbit village" that will surprise many: the "Parco dei Palmenti." It’s hard not to compare it to J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation in The Lord of the Rings, yet it has no connection to it.
These dwellings, or rather caves, carved directly into the rock, date back to the 18th century and were once used for wine production (from grape pressing, fermentation, to final extraction).
Even though they are no longer in use, it is now possible to walk among these rock-hewn houses and see the inside of some of them. It is also possible (and recommended if you want to learn more about this unique place) to visit the Parco dei Palmenti with a guide. This is likely a good option (which we missed because we hadn’t informed ourselves sufficiently beforehand) if you want to uncover the secrets of the place, as there are no explanations on-site.
A parking gratuit is located right across from the site. It’s very convenient for visiting the area.
GPS coordinates of the parking lot: 40.74888, 15.88715.
This small village, perched not in the Murgia but in the Gallipoli Cognato Piccole Dolomiti Lucane Regional Park, is very charming. Built on the rocky slopes of the Lucanian Dolomites, and more specifically on the edge of Monte Impiso, Pietrapertosa is rightly classified as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Its surroundings are magnificent. The road leading to Pietrapertosa is worth the trip on its own. There are stunning landscapes and viewpoints of the surrounding region.
The village offers a maze of narrow streets, stairs, and passages that make the visit a bit of a sporty adventure.
For photography enthusiasts and lovers of beautiful landscapes, this village is truly a must-see. If you have a drone, you’ll have even more fun. At the bottom of the village, there’s a football field that, when captured with the village and mountains, adds a new dimension to the place and especially to your photos.
For thrill-seekers, this is also the perfect place: there’s a zip line that connects Pietrapertosa to the neighboring village of Castelmezzano. This zip line, called “Volo dell’Angelo” (Flight of the Angel), is among the highest and fastest in the world, reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h. It’s sure to blow you away!
Oh, and just to be precise, it’s not one, but two zip lines that allow you to make the round trip and experience the maximum thrill.
For more information, you can visit their website: volodellangelo.com.
In Pietrapertosa, we were lucky to find a spot in the few spaces on Via della Speranza. It’s a paid parking area, apparently costing €1 per hour, but we couldn’t find the payment station during our visit…
GPS coordinates of the parking lot: 40.515839, 16.063592.
This medieval village, founded in the 8th century and once a beacon of southern Italy during the Middle Ages, is now a completely abandoned village.
This ghost town was deserted over the centuries due to challenging agricultural conditions and successive natural disasters (earthquakes and landslides). Craco was completely evacuated in the 1970s, leaving the village without inhabitants… and closed to the public.
Since then, Craco has remained unchanged. It is said that the village is intact, preserved in its original state, and this is precisely what attracts curious visitors.
Unfortunately, when we went, we could only view the village from the outside (and take a quick drone shot) because there were barriers all around the village and at every entrance, preventing any access. Additionally, we met a couple who had just called the Basilicata tourist office, which informed them that the village was closed to visitors that day. Given this information, we decided not to press further (though maybe we should have).
In retrospect, I did some research, but it's difficult to separate the truth from the falsehoods...
There are reportedly walls that block tourist access in certain areas, but not everywhere. It’s unclear whether the barriers we saw were part of these "walls" and if they could have been climbed—hard to say.
I also read that it was possible to visit Craco with a guide, but that these tours had been suspended since 2021 (whether this is still the case, I’m not sure).
I agree—contacting the Basilicata tourist office upon arrival is probably the best way to find out if you can visit Craco and when it would be best to go. The ruins remain dangerous and are still subject to collapses, so it's wise to check the latest information and conditions.
As a fun fact, Craco has also been the setting for several major films, such as "Christ Stopped at Eboli" by Francesco Rosi (1979), "The Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson (2004), and even a James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace" by Marc Forster (2008).
When you arrive at the foot of Craco, you will easily find parking.
Yes, well… It’s not a town but a specialty to try during your stay in Southeast Italy. And even though some might say it’s a Sicilian specialty rather than from Puglia or Basilicata (they are right, of course), I still wanted to mention it in this article because almonds also grow in this region, and there are excellent almond granitas here.
The two we tried and recommend are:
The first granita was very smooth and refreshing. Almost too light for my taste (I tried Simon's white mulberry granita, and it took a bit for the almond flavor to come back), but it was still very good.
The second one, on the other hand, was much more intense in flavor. I felt like I was really eating almonds. I loved it!
I think the difference is due to the production method. On one hand, it seemed like the granita was simply made with almond milk, while on the other, the almonds were likely blended and left in their juice/milk to make the granita.
To summarize, the first granita would be more for those new to almond flavor, while the second is for almond enthusiasts like me 😉.
Well, in this case, no one can say it's not a specialty of Puglia!
Burrata is the quintessential Italian cheese, and it comes straight from Puglia.
This ball of buffalo stracciatella cream wrapped in a "pouch" of mozzarella is simply a delight (yes, that's the difference between Burrata and stracciatella: the former is the cheese as a whole, while the latter is the creamy heart of the Burrata).
You definitely can't miss it during your stay in Italy.
You'll find it in all the restaurants, but also in the Salumerias (those small shops that sell cold cuts, cheese, and bread).
Burrata and Stracciatella will delight your taste buds. They hardly need any accompaniment or seasoning; it's truly a cheese you can eat with a spoon (especially the Stracciatella).
During our visit to Puglia, we bought Burratas at l’Antiqua Salumeria DCA in Bari. It was an absolute delight!
We also tried Stracciatella on a focaccia at the Doppiozero restaurant in Lecce. It wasn't a local specialty restaurant, but it was still very good.
That's it! We've reached the end of this article. We've introduced what we believe are the unusual and unmissable places and specialties of Puglia and Basilicata. We hope it has been informative and will help you during your stay in the Southeast of Italy. We certainly loved visiting these beautiful towns and tasting the delicious typical dishes.
If you also want to visit this region, you can book your tickets here:
Feel free to share your experiences and tips in the comments for other travelers to enrich this article! 😉.
1. Don't hesitate to stop by the tourist offices in the towns to grab a map and maybe some suggested itineraries. It's free, and it will help ensure you don't miss anything during your visit.
2. In Puglia and Basilicata, it's highly recommended to park your vehicle at the entrance of the towns. Sure, it means a bit more walking, but it will save you a lot of hassle. Beyond the endless narrow streets, you should know that historic centers in Italy are often located in what are called ZTLs (restricted traffic zones). Only certain license plates are allowed to enter, and the area is monitored by cameras. Unless you want to receive a €200 fine, it's really best not to venture in.
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