Bari City Tour

The history of Bari, which is made up by the several dominations that brought numerous civilizations to leave their traces within the architecture and culture of the city facing the Mediterranean sea, is still alive in every corner of the capital of Apulia. We offer you a unique opportunity to discover Bari through a pleasant walk in the heart of the town which has always been considered as the meeting point between Orient and the western culture. We will go back to the past simply by walking within the old city centre, among the intricate narrow medieval side streets: here are most of the monuments of the Byzantine, Norman and Frederick's II time.

Our guided tour starts at the castle of Bari, built by the Normans on the ruins of an ancient Byzantine church. The castle was restored by Frederick II according to his own taste (in fact, on the main entrance the emperor wanted to put his emblem): during the 16th century the castle was converted to a manor for princes. Nowadays in one of the rooms of the castle we can see copies of the most important Apulian monuments made with chalk. Afterwards we will cross Piazza Chiurlia and we reach the "Arc Vasc" which is one of the most picturesque side streets of Bari: here you can see women preparing the typical Apulian ear-shaped pasta, called “orecchiette”. Our visit continues with the Cathedral of St. Sabin (ancient patron saint of Bari): this building has a façade in Romanesque style and a baroque portal. We can not miss the visit of St. Nicholas cathedral (the actual patron saint of Bari): this church is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year. In the crypt we can see the relics of the Saint. In Piazza Mercantile we find the town hall building which dates back to the 15th century and the famous "Colonna Infame", a column where unfaithful women and persons who had debts were fastened and tortured by the citizens during the Renaissance period. The tour ends in Piazza Ferrarese, where guests will enjoy some free time either in one of the several coffee bars drinking a typical “Espresso” or doing some shopping in the elegant shops around Via Sparano.