Bari walking tour & city guide

A walk through Bari Vecchia

The old town sits on a small peninsula between two harbours. Its heart is the Basilica of San Nicola, a Romanesque church that holds the relics of Saint Nicholas, an important pilgrimage site for Catholic and Orthodox Christians alike. Nearby, the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Norman-Swabian Castle complete the historic centre.

On Strada Arco Basso, often called the street of orecchiette, local women still shape pasta by hand and dry it on wooden trays outside their homes. Little squares like Piazza Mercantile and Piazza del Ferrarese fill with people in the evening.

The seafront and the Murat district

The Lungomare, one of the longest seafront promenades in Italy, runs east from the old town past grand early 20th-century buildings, with a pier where fishermen sell raw seafood straight from their boats.

The Murat district, laid out in a grid in the 19th century, is the modern centre, with Via Sparano for shopping and the Teatro Petruzzelli opera house.

Visiting tips

Bari has an airport and ferry connections to Greece, Albania and Croatia. It is a great base for Puglia: Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Alberobello's trulli and Matera are all reachable by train or car. Summers are hot, so mornings and evenings are best for walking.