Apulia, Basilicata, and Calabria—three beautiful regions in southern Italy. First, there is Apulia, whose eastern part is especially characterized by its “white” towns such as Ostuni, Cisternino, Martina Franca, and of course Alberobello. Calabria, in turn, impresses with its national parks, the seaside town of Tropea, and roads that sometimes seem to end abruptly. And Basilicata? Well, Basilicata has Matera. And Matera, I want to make this very clear, is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever had the privilege of visiting.
Our 15-day journey was so diverse, so full of experiences, adventures, wonderful moments, and breathtaking discoveries that it still feels unreal that we managed to see and experience ALL of that in such a short time. The memories of this wonderful trip will stay with me for a very long time, and I can only recommend that everyone grab a rental car and embark on the sometimes adventurous, but always beautiful, journey of discovery through the “heel” of Italy’s boot.
Because all three regions are incredibly diverse, I have written separate reports about each of them. You can find the links below. Here, however, is a brief overview of the three areas:
Our trip began in Apulia, more specifically in Bari. Bari is a port city known for its pasta specialty, *orecchiette*. And speaking of food: on the day we arrived, Bari was hosting a kind of food festival. Needless to say, the offerings at the stalls looked extremely tempting. In the afternoon, we took a stroll through *Bari Vecchia*, the old town, where we visited sights such as the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Basilica of San Nicola. We also happened to witness *Evviva San Nicola*. What is really remarkable—and something I only realized afterward—is that although Bari immediately won us over with its beautiful old town at the beginning of our vacation, in retrospect it was less impressive compared to the many spectacular villages and towns we would later discover.
In Apulia, these included Ostuni, the White City; Trani, the pearl of the Apulian Adriatic; Alberobello, the capital of the *trulli*; Cisternino, the small town overlooking the Itria Valley; and Martina Franca, the Baroque town in the Itria Valley. I instantly fell in love with the latter. The Palazzo Ducale, with its exhibitions, fascinated me completely. For me, it is an absolute must-see.
What else? Altamura and, of course, Gravina in Puglia are further highlights. Bread lovers like myself simply cannot miss Altamura. It is home to some of Italy’s oldest and arguably best bakeries. I can certainly confirm that. We visited Altamura on the last day of our trip, where I bought one of their incredibly delicious loaves of bread, and believe it or not—it stayed fresh for an entire week! That is true Italian craftsmanship.
And what makes Gravina in Puglia so special? Well, anyone who has seen the latest James Bond film, *No Time to Die*, will remember the opening scenes set in Italy—more specifically in Matera and in Gravina in Puglia, on its famous aqueduct.
And that brings us back to the subject of James Bond in southern Italy. But that is not the only reason we ended up in Basilicata, especially in Matera. Matera truly impressed me. I would say that I have already seen quite a bit of the world, but my first glimpse of Matera’s old town literally took my breath away. It is incredibly difficult to tear your eyes away from the maze of alleyways, the beautiful stone houses, the magnificent squares, and the spectacular ravine. Naturally, Matera is well visited and is undoubtedly the region’s main attraction. What pleasantly surprised me, however, was how well the crowds are dispersed, so that nowhere do you feel overwhelmed or crowded. We spent the last three days of our vacation in the region, and I would almost go so far as to say that they were the three most beautiful days of the entire trip.
Last but not least: Calabria. Calabria is one of Italy’s poorest regions, and apart from hotspots such as Tropea or Pizzo, this becomes most evident in its crumbling roads. At times, driving around here in a rental car can be quite an adventure. For me, however, it is precisely the slightly faded charm of its small villages and towns, together with their tranquility, that gives Calabria its appeal. In the Pollino and Sila National Parks, there was still a wonderfully relaxed early-season atmosphere. In Cosenza, we had the chance to experience part of the Giro d’Italia, and in San Severino Lucano (which actually belongs to Basilicata), we were protected from any danger posed by the ’Ndrangheta thanks to a secure door! 🙂
I can also highly recommend visiting the hidden gem of Caccuri. However, the drive there is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
