DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN LECCE You should arrive at the airport to take your flight to Bari. On arrival you will be met and transferred to the four-star Hilton Garden Inn in Lecce for two night’s half-board. This fine hotel is very modern in style, with a roof-top swimming pool and is just a short walk from the Old Town. Some dates will stay at the Grand Hotel Tiziano, a short walk from the Old Town, modern and purpose built with an outdoor swimming pool with seasonal bar service, the ideal spot to relax after sightseeing.
DAY 2 - TOUR OF LECCE Lecce dates from ancient Greek times, flourished under the Romans and boasts an amphitheatre which once held 20,000 people. The Normans built a castle here, but Lecce entered a Golden Age during the 16th century when it was embellished with a host of splendid Renaissance and Baroque Churches, monuments and one of Europe’s highest bell towers completes a kaleidoscope of cultural wonders. During our guided tour this morning you will see the pinnacle of this remarkable example of man’s creativity at the Santa Croce basilica. Its stunningly crafted and detailed interior decoration and marble columns are outstanding, as is its facade of highly intricate, carved stonework. This afternoon you are free to explore as you
wish. You will love just wandering where your feet take you, stumbling on the host of medieval palaces. This evening we dine in an excellent restaurant, once an ancient Roman granary, serving superb local food in the true tradition of regional Italian cuisine.
DAY 3 - MATERA During our drive this morning, the view to the horizon is a carpet of olive trees studded with the occasional white-washed village underlining Apulia’s historic connections with Greece and North Africa. Arriving in Matera where we have a guided tour of this remarkable ancient town thought to be one of the first inhabited places in Italy. Originating as a prehistoric troglodyte settlement, astonishingly, even today people live in the same cave houses that their ancestors probably occupied thousands of years ago. An entire town is here, with Churches, shops, workshops, all hewn from rock. Is there anywhere else where you can walk along a street which is the roof of the house below? We stay two nights with breakfast and dinner at
the nearby four-star Hilton Garden Inn Matera. This contemporary hotel is set in landscaped gardens with a lovely pool benefiting from panoramic views over the rolling countryside. All in all a very tranquil and relaxing setting. Outdoor pools generally open for use June – Sept, weather permitting.
DAY 4 - ALBEROBELLO This morning we visit the unique village of Alberobello, famous for its Trulli buildings. As we travel, the countryside becomes more undulating and open with patches of oak forest, bisected by drystone walls, incredibly scenic it is rather reminiscent of Tuscany. You’ll begin to notice the distinctive whitewashed
stone huts with conical roofs dotted across this bucolic landscape; these are Trulli, traditional local houses unique to Apulia. Extraordinarily Alberobello, is completely comprised of Trulli and we explore this fascinating townscape, learning all about their construction and intriguing history. Many are adorned with large symbols, some religious, some pagan and some celestial: you really are stepping back in time. We return to our hotel this afternoon to relax or
you may wish to re-visit the ancient town of Matera. This evening we will dine in a local restaurant in the historic Old Town of Matera where we will sample the local cuisine.
DAY 5 - BARI This morning we have a guided tour of Bari’s Old Town, nestling beautifully on the Adriatic, a thriving walled port even before the Romans, capital of Byzantine Italy and as important as Venice during Norman times. There is much to see: an imposing medieval fortress dominates the Old Town and the massive Romanesque Cathedral has some stunning 11th century frescos. Bari’s highlight is the Basilica di San Nicola, whose beautiful 900 year old vaulted crypt is the final resting place of Saint Nicholas – Patron Saint of Russia but better known to us as Father Christmas! Leaving Matera we call at delightful Trani, an
important port during medieval times with extensive trading networks and some lovely Romanesque architecture but most of all is today a picturesque fishing port. The countryside changes as we climb the deserted yet spectacular Gargano peninsular coastal road. The warm air is heavy with that unmistakable Mediterranean aroma of pine and wild flowers and we soon arrive in charming Vieste staying three nights with breakfast and dinner, at either the Palace Hotel Vieste or Hotel Degli Aranci, both ideally situated about 250 metres from the beach next to the atmospheric Old Town. The Palace Hotel is the tasteful conversion of a
15th century noble’s house into a lovely classic hotel. All rooms are individually decorated, spacious and of course air-conditioned. There is a bar and restaurant, plus free use of the private beach with two sun beds and an umbrella (June to Sept) per room. The Hotel Degli Aranci is again four-star rated
and has been the lifelong project of its professional owners and whilst a modern hotel, it generates a very homely feel due to the genuine warmth of its staff. The rooms are very nicely appointed, well maintained and air-conditioned. Again, there is free use of the hotel’s private beach plus two sun beds and an umbrella (June to Sept) per room.
DAY 6 - VIESTE Vieste, almost an apparition, is a beautiful village of white flat-roofed low buildings, dominated by its simple 13th century Cathedral. It cascades down a sun-bleached limestone promontory surrounded on three sides by the azur-blue Adriatic. Today is a free day to just relax, bury your head
in a good book, perhaps enjoy a leisurely lunch of succulent local seafood or just wander through one of Italy’s most attractive coastal towns.
DAY 7 - MONTE SANT ANGELO This morning we arrive at Monte Sant Angelo, a gorgeous hill-top village with superb 360 degree vistas of the surrounding forest. Here, the Archangel Michael appeared and in the 8th century an outstanding abbey was built. This was one of the most important of medieval pilgrimages visited by Popes, Monarchs and especially the Crusaders many of whom scratched messages of hope on the walls which can still be seen. Our journey continues driving inland into the mysterious Foresta Umbra, a “Dark Forest” and natural wonderland of ancient trees and one of Europe’s finest orchid habitats. We then return to Vieste along the Gargano Peninsula, much of which is a National Park, with breathtaking coastal views and a carpet of aromatic pine and oak forest shielding a kaleidoscope of colourful wild flowers. Arriving back in Vieste with time to relax before dinner. This evening we will dine in a local restaurant, set in a renovated natural cave located directly under the Duomo in the heart of Vieste, ran by a local family, serving traditional dishes of this region of Apulia.
DAY 8 - RETURN FLIGHT At the appropriate time you return to the airport for your flight home.
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