THE MESMERISING HEEL

There are many Italian cities and resorts very popular in Azerbaijan. Every year thousands of our nationals visit Rome, Venice, Naples, Florence, Pisa and many other famous destinations of this southern country. However, there are also destinations that are either little known or underestimated by the general public. One of the, undoubtedly, is the spa city of Bari, capital of the Puglia region.

Discovering Bari

The media usually refers to Bari as a location at the very bottom of the heel of the Italian boot. The residents of Puglia often love to say that if Paris were by the sea, it would be like little Bari. Visitors to the region unanimously acknowledge that Bari does not look like other Italian resorts and that it has a distinctive style. The most interesting thing is that the central historical districts of many towns in Puglia are very similar to the Old Town (Icherisheher) of Baku.

There are no direct flights between Baku and Bari. But the Bari International Airport receives aircraft daily from many parts of Europe. The best way to travel to Bari from Azerbaijan is via Budapest or Rome. Thus a round-trip flight to Bari through Budapest during off-peak seasons costs ₼450-500. And from Rome one can reach Puglia for €25-40 by train or plane.

Bari has about the same climate as Baku, with mild winter and summer temperatures averaging +5°C and +30-35°C. But if you want to swim in the Adriatic Sea, it's better to book for the summer season. Popular with tourists is the month of May, when a religious festival, the Fiesta of St. Nicholas, takes place every year on May 7-9. A statue of Nicholas the Wonderworker is sent out to sea by boat and when it returns, people welcome it and accompany it straight to the church. There are festive processions in the streets, and locals leave notes of supplication in front of the relic. During the festivities, the city hosts fairs, musical concerts and theatrical performances, as well as firework displays. October also sees the Sagra delle Olive, a major gastronomic festival celebrating the harvest, especially of olive oil. Traditional focaccia, pizza and all things tantalising and delicious Italian are on the city's open stalls.

As for hotel prices, they are about the same as they are all over Italy - not cheap and depend on the season. Since the coronavirus pandemic, prices for flights, hotels and food have risen everywhere in Europe. In total, there are more than 600 hotels in Bari and the surrounding area, located both in the historic part of the city and near the sea. So, the prices for double rooms in three-star hotels start from €90-100 per night and four stars for two will cost at least €120-140. There are also quite a few fully equipped apartments in Bari, which are priced more reasonably (€70-80) for budget tourists. But, as in Baku, if you want to have a budget holiday, it is necessary to book accommodation in advance.

The port city of Bari is divided into 11 districts, the most popular ones being Murat, Bari Vecchia, Quartiere Umbertino and Marconi. Murat is the heart of the city and connects the beach with the Old Town. There's a large concentration of cafes and restaurants where you can eat or drink a cup of coffee. The most concentrated tourist attraction is Bari Vecchia. The area is home to St. Nicholas Basilica, the cathedral and castle of Bari, the ruins of Santa Maria church and many more to explore.

Be sure to explore Bari's unspoilt Old Town. Unlike the straight, parallel avenues of modern districts, it consists of a maze of small, narrow, cobbled and very atmospheric streets. Here you can get a glimpse of the local culture, admire the beautiful buildings and learn about the city's history. Of course, the most important attraction in Bari and the Old Town is the Basilica of St. Nicholas. This huge church in the centre of Bari is known for its fantastic design, luxurious interior and is an important pilgrimage site for Roman Catholics in Europe.

While walking around inside the Old Town, make sure to find streets where Italian women make pasta outside their homes. Yes, local housewives have long had this colourful tradition of making and selling pasta. Right in the streets of the Old Town, many of them cook colourful pasta in front of their houses for tourists. The price is about €2.5 for half a kilo. It's a lot of fun for the tourists and a lot of income for the housewives. These spots are located in the narrow streets almost opposite Bari Castle.

Shopping lovers should head for Via Sparano. It runs from the main train station to the Old Town. Walk along the shopping alley and you'll find plenty of local shops and designer brands. This street also has a park, bars, cafes, restaurants and other particularly popular places - like Torgovaya in Baku or Arbat in Moscow. Don't forget to try the local gelato in Bari and neighbouring towns - it's delicious and costs €2-4.

The Lungomare Nazario Sauro, the city's promenade, is worth a visit for the romantics. It stretches for almost 1 km and offers a truly picturesque promenade under the Mediterranean sun. It offers a beautiful view of the sea and the fantastic architecture of the white buildings.

The centre of Bari is quite compact and during the day you can walk around both the main pedestrian area and the main attractions. So you don't need transport. You will only need one if you have rented accommodation outside the immediate centre. There are 42 bus lines that run from 17:00 to 23:00 for €1. You can also get from the airport to the centre and vice versa by public transport for that price.

The Pearl of Polignano-a-Mare

Bari's many charming small towns and coastal ports make it even more attractive. One of these, Polignano-a-Mare, is considered the most beautiful and photogenic place in Southern Italy. 

Polignano Cove is situated on a high rocky coastline with an incredible view of the turquoise sea. It is about 30km from Bari. All you have to do is pay €2.60 and take the train and in 30 minutes you will find yourself in a town called the Pearl of the Adriatic. It has crystal clear sea, picturesque cliffs and majestic caves of natural origin.

But the landmark of the town and the entire Puglia region is the beach, Lama Monachile Cala Porto. It is one of the most photographed and picturesque beaches in Italy and the whole of Europe. The small bay is always crowded in summer. Strangely enough, the public beach itself has no facilities like changing rooms, showers, toilets, sun loungers or anything else for holidaymakers. There are, however, a few posh restaurants and hotels right on the rocks around the beach. The view, as travellers usually write, is magnificent and unbelievable: a piercing turquoise sea surrounded by white cliffs, some southern vegetation and bright old houses of the historic centre above.

As the beach meets high quality standards and is safe for swimming, it has been awarded the Blue Flag (an international distinction) since 2008.

Although the city itself doesn't have any particular historical sites or museums, it still attracts tourists with its photographic hotspots, enchanted by its historic centre with surviving features from the Arab, Byzantine, Spanish and Norman periods.

Walking around Polignano you will come across a sculpture that is popular with tourists. On the promenade there is a monument to the famous Italian singer Domenico Modugno, who himself comes from Polignano. He is famous for authoring and singing the song Nel blu dipinto di blu, better known as Volare. In addition to Modugno, the song has been sung by many, including Luciano Pavarotti and Gypsy Kings. Everyone who sees the monument raises their hands and sings Volare, meaning to fly, followed by "cantare", meaning "to sing". And every visitor, familiar with his song, at the sight of the monument, waves his hands and "flies and sings"...

Cave Matera

While in Bari, make sure to take the opportunity to visit Matera, about an hour and a half away. The best way to get from Bari to Matera is by bus. The journey takes about an hour and costs €5-6. If you are close to the train station, you can get to Matera by train for €5.5. All you have to do is change at Altamura.

Matera is considered one of the most unusual and interesting places in Italy and is also the oldest settlement in Europe. Its history goes back over seven millennia. It is an old town that has preserved its historic core virtually intact. But before taking a tour of the centre, we suggest visiting the village of Sassi, throng with ancient cave houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village is interesting and unique for hosting people in caves in conditions of insanitation, poverty and lack of any human facilities up until 1952 when a decree was issued to relocate the inhabitants to normal houses. This was encouraged by Carlo Levi's book Christ Suspended in Eboli (later made into a film based on the book). The work describes the life of the town almost as one of Dante's circles of hell. At the time, there were people and livestock living together side by side in a small cave. Once the Italian authorities confirmed that the citizens lived here as in the Middle Ages, people were relocated to new houses and the place became a ghost town. It was only in the 1990s, when Matera was included on the UNESCO list of monuments, that the ghost town was renovated - people started living here again. The modern caves bought by wealthy Italians have not only running water but also satellite TV, internet and other amenities. Tourists also rent rooms in local mini-hotels and in the so-called cave flats, visiting cave restaurants.

Matera is full of ancient architecture and churches, charming narrow streets and alleys, stone staircases and viewing platforms with stunning views, beautiful courtyards studded with bright green cacti, small trees and flowers. It was here that Mel Gibson filmed footage of his scandalous film The Passion of the Christ, including the scenes of Jesus ascending Calvary.

There are more than 130 cave churches and chapels in Matera with well-preserved 12th century frescoes. Entrance to some of them is €25 and photography is forbidden, but you can see frescoes from the Byzantine era and stalactites instead of columns in the churches. In some churches, such as San Pietro Barisano, you can even listen to jazz.

Trulli Alberobello

About 60km from Bari is the fairytale town of Alberobello. If you're a fan of Italy, you've probably seen pictures from here in commercials and brochures.

Alberobello is famous for its unique conical-roofed white stone houses, the so-called trulli, which resemble gnome dwellings. There is nowhere else like it in the world. Due to their uniqueness, they were included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage in 1996. The thing that makes these structures peculiar is that they can be quickly and easily demolished. A special stone was used for this purpose and embedded in the base. When it is removed, the house will become a pile of stones. The reason was the reluctance of local residents in the 16th century to pay tax for their houses. When locals heard about the approach of royal tax collectors, they destroyed their houses in a matter of minutes and rebuilt them after their departure. Officially, tax on trullis was abolished only in 1979, and now everyone can buy them for €5,000-€30,000 (price depends on location and area).

Some of the trullis serve also as house museums, restaurants and cafés, souvenir shops and wine shops.

The best way to get from Bari to Alberobello is by bus. The journey takes about an hour and costs €8.80 each way. From the arrival station you can walk to the city centre in about 15 minutes. Explore the upper (east) hill first, where you'll find the Church of Cosmas and Damiano (Santi Cosma e Damiano) in addition to the trulli. Here you'll also find the largest museum in the trulli. Then follow the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, down the west hill to Piazza del Popolo.

The west hill is almost entirely occupied by trulli neighbourhoods, thousands of them. Here you can see the Chiesa di Sant'Antonio church dating back to the twelfth century and built in trulli style. This is also where Alberobello's most photographed sights are. After getting tired, head back to Piazza del Popolo with a plenty of outdoor cafés and restaurants. Here you can eat ice cream and buy local high-quality olive oil and local souvenirs.

Again, Bari is unique with its countless small attractive towns and villages around it that you can visit for very little money. While official excursions to each of these towns can cost €150-200, it only costs €5-10 by public transport. So feel free to book a holiday in Bari for at least 7-10 days. And in addition to the towns mentioned above, you will have a chance to visit Molfetta, Altamura, Trani, Monopoli, Cisternino and many other charming places.