1 DAY ARRIVAL
Arrival to the heel of the boot of Italy, Puglia. Accomodation in Hotel in Gargano area. Dinner and overnight.
2 DAY VIESTE AND PESCHICI
Breakfast
and all day dedicated to the visit of the two pearls of Gargano:
Peschici and Vieste. Vieste is one of Italy’s most attractive coastal
towns, situated on a rocky promontory overlooking turquoise waters with
beaches either side. A magnificent town of white houses clinging to the
coastline, narrow cobbled streets leading to stairways and agave covered
arches. You’ll visit the ancient village with narrow streets that climb
towards the Cathedral, between whitewashed houses and colorful bazaar.
Weather permitting, you’ll be sailing around fascinating Vieste and its
prehistoric caves. The coast from Vieste to Peschici is dotted with very
original gadgets used in the past for fishing: the famous Trabucchi,
ancient structures once used for fishing which have today been
transformed into seaside restaurants. Built onto the rocks above the
coast,the 10th century Castello di Peschici,has rooms full of medieval
and Renaissance torture devices. Dinner and overnight.
3 DAY MONTE SANT’ANGELO AND CASTEL DEL MONTE
Breakfast
and departure to Monte Sant’Angelo. Perched on a rocky spur, the town
of Monte Sant’Angelo commands great views over the surrounding Foresta
Umbra. It was put on the pilgrim map after Archangel Michael was said to
have appeared at a grotto here in AD 493. The Santuario di San Michele
has a shrine to St Michael its bronze doors were cast in Constantinople
in 1076. The building has a genuine cave chapel and other shrines
including a 16th century statue of Michaelin Carrara marble and
Frederick II’s Silver Cross, said to contain a piece of the True Cross.
Near the grotto stands the irregurarly shaped Castello Normanno Svevo
Aragonese and the large pentagonal Torre dei Giganti. Departure to
Castel del Monte, the powerful, octagonal fortress of Frederick II.
Described as the most fascinating castle built by Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Castel del Monte is a stunning 13th century castle in the
wonderful Puglian city of Andria. On your private day tour of this
UNESCO castle, you will discover its interesting history and even more
fascinating architecture. Castel del Monte sits on a small hilltop,
proudly overlooking the commune of Andria, an area known for its rich
agricultural heritage, and is one of the best preserved castles in
Southern Italy. Dinner and overnight in the area.
NOTICE: If
you happen to be visiting Puglia and Castel del Monte during summer,
you may be able to take part to Festival dei Mondi. Organised in honour
of Frederick II who, because of his advanced intelligence, knowledge and
forward-thinking, was known as the Stupor Mundi - ‘the wonder of the
world’ - the festival is a magnificent celebration of art, music,
multimedia, and literature, all taking place in the stunning Castel del
Monte as well as some other buildings in the town of Andria itself. The
festival takes place from the end of August to the beginning of
September. If you would like to coincide your visit to the castle with
the festival and would like more information, don’t hesitate to contact
us.
4 DAY BARI
Breakfast and departure to Bari, one of
the most beautiful cities in Puglia. The city is located along the
Adriatic coast in the southeastern part of the Italian peninsula, across
the sea from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Bari has played an important economic
role in the region due to its strategic location in the Mediterranean
Sea and it place in important trade routes. Nowadays the city is still
an economic and political center in Southern Italy. It hosts one of the
most popular fair exhibitions and a large university focused on trade,
economics and engineering. The capital of Puglia is also known for a
long and fascinating history that begins back in the pre-Roman age and
for being a religious and tourist center that attracts several pilgrims
and tourists from all over the world. Among other things, the city hosts
an important opera house and is an important cruise ship harbor, being
part of the cruise ship itinerary of the Mediterranean Sea*. Dinner and
overnight.
* We can provide for your group to continue the trip to Croatia or to Grece.
5 DAY LOCOROTONDO AND ALBEROBELLO
After
breakfast departure to Locorotondo.You probably already know that
cheese forms a huge part of Italian cuisine, so what better way to spend
part of your time in Puglia than to visit a local cheese farm. The
cheesemaker that we visit is not a big business owner or
industrial-sized firm; this is a typical, family-run, small business
where you can see the old traditions of cheesemaking at work. Here you
will get to sample some of the freshest mozzarella and burrata you will
taste in your life as well as finding out how these iconic cheeses are
made.
Next on our itinerary is the charming town of Locorotondo,
famous for its wine and circular historical centre. In fact, the name
Locorotondo itself is derived from this very feature of the town;
translated into English, the name means ‘round place’. As you stroll the
town’s streets, you will see more of the typical whitewashed houses
Puglia is so well-known for and, as the town is perched upon a hill, it
is possible to view the surrounding olive groves and countryside. As
part of our visit, we will also head to the local food market, where you
can see the wonderful array of locally-grown fruit and vegetables which
are available here. You’ll get to experience one of the most authentic
Italian experiences you could ask for. The produce of the land is very
important to the local Puglian people and there’s no better place to see
all the fantastic fruit and vegetables that are grown in the region
than the markets where they are sold.
Finally, we will visit
Alberobello, the iconic town of trulli. Trulli are characteristic
conical-roofed houses typical of the region, built from local limestone,
and many people comment on how a visit to Alberobello is like walking
into a fairy tale. Because the trulli are of such cultural importance to
the region, the town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1996. We will spend our time here strolling the streets and discovering
all its hidden corners. Dinner and overnight.
6 DAY POLIGNANO AND MATERA
Breakfast
and visit of Polignano, with its typical Mediterranean atmosphere,
beautiful rugged coastline, and quaint and charming old town.
You
will be able to experience the Italian lifestyle of one of the most
beautiful hidden gems of Southern Italy and definitely should not be
missed when visiting Puglia. Once an ancient landing spot for merchants
and fishermen, you will be amazed by the picturesque bays and caves, as
well as the balconies and terraces which overlook the sea. You will get
to discover the small bay of the famous Lama Monachile, and the
fascinating old town with its well-preserved Roman remains. After the
visit departure to Matera, located in Basilicata region, Matera is
difinitely something you cannot miss when on a trip to southern Italy.
One of the oldest cities in the world whose roots date as far back as
the Palaeolithic era, Matera is best known for having a completely
unique landscape; made up of ‘sassi’, grottos and cave dwellings carved
out of the local limestone along a ravine, the city’s unusual scenery
has been the setting of many Hollywood films, such as The Passion of the
Christ and Ben-Hur. You will also get to discover several rupestrian
churches and monasteries full of fascinating frescoes painted by
Byzantine monks, now considered to be some of Matera’s greatest
treasures. Your walking tour of Matera will lead you on a journey
through thousands of years of history, starting in the prehistoric era
through to the tough, bitter years of struggle in the mid-20th century.
Back to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.
7 DAY DEPARTURE
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