Bari

Introduction

Bari is the capital of both the Metropolitan City of Bari and the region of Apulia, set on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It ranks among the most important economic centres of mainland southern Italy, and it is a port and university city as well as the city of Saint Nicholas.

Before you go

Bari is the largest city of Apulia, set on the Adriatic coast, and it has long been one of Italy's main departure points for ferries to neighbouring countries. In recent years the city has worked to raise its tourism profile and draw attention to its old town, which keeps its ancient Medieval street plan and holds many historic buildings and sites. That old town, Bari Vecchia, was the heart of pre-Roman and Roman Bari, and today you'll find hip bars and restaurants open from dusk till dawn in what was once a dark and unsafe quarter.

Bear in mind that Bari Vecchia, for all its beauty, has narrow, crowded streets and a steady flow of tourists, which makes it the preferred spot for local pickpockets; at night there can also be drunk people around the nightlife area. The local dialect belongs to the upper-southern Italo-Romance family and coexists with Italian, though the two are generally used in different contexts.

Getting there

Bari's airport, Karol Wojtyła Airport, is modern and well-organised, and is served by carriers including ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Ryanair and Wizzair. From the airport you can reach the centre in several ways: a direct railway link runs to Bari Centrale with roughly two trains per hour, and a taxi to the centre is charged at a fixed rate. If you are willing to walk to the next stop along the line, a ticket from there into Bari Centrale costs less. Alternatively, a Tempesta shuttle bus runs to Bari Centrale with about one departure per hour and a journey time of around 30 minutes, or you can take local bus no. 16, which departs right next to the train stop entrance, takes about 40 minutes and also runs once an hour.

By rail, the main station is Bari Centrale in Piazza Aldo Moro, well connected to most Italian cities including Rome, Milan, Bologna, Naples, Foggia, Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto, with local trains also arriving from Ostuni, Brindisi and Lecce to the south. Inside the station you will find tourist information points, ticket machines, bars and waiting rooms. Ferrovie del Sud Est runs trains to Alberobello and other nearby destinations from Bari Centrale, as well as buses to similar places in the region, while Ferrovie Appulo Lucane runs trains to Matera Centrale from a separate building just outside Bari Centrale, to the left as you walk out onto the piazza with the buses and fountain. By car, the Autostrada Adriatica A14 brings you in from both north and south; exit at the Bari-Nord or Bari-South toll booth and follow signs for the Bari ring road (SS16). Long-distance buses include Onbus between Sicily and Puglia, and touring buses connecting Germany to Puglia. By sea, Bari is the destination for ferries from the Greek ports of Patras and Igoumenitsa, with additional ships to Bar and Kotor in Montenegro, Dubrovnik in Croatia, and Durrës and Vlora in Albania; operators include Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries and Jadrolinija.

Getting around

Bari is laid out in distinct sections that shape how you move around it. The old town, Bari Vecchia, occupies a peninsula in the north between two modern harbours, and it is where you find the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Norman-Swabian Castle; it is also a major nightlife district. To the south lies the Murat quarter, the modern heart of the city, built on a rectangular grid plan with a seafront promenade and the main shopping streets. Walking is the most practical way to cover the centre: the old town and the Murat quarter sit close together, and the Murat grid, the promenade and the shopping district are all comfortably explored on foot. Bear in mind that Bari Vecchia is closely built and maze-like, while the Murat quarter is regular and easy to navigate. For anything beyond the centre, you will want public transport or a taxi.

Local public buses are run by AMTAB, and there are many of them across the city; buy your ticket before boarding where you can, as the fare rises if you buy it on board. Bari Centrale, in Piazza Aldo Moro, is the main station and the hub of the local rail network, with tourist information points, ticket machines, bars and waiting rooms inside. Several separate operators run services from or near it, so check which company you need before you travel: Trenitalia is the main national operator; Ferrotramviaria runs the direct railway link between the airport and Bari Centrale; Ferrovie del Sud Est runs trains to Alberobello and other nearby destinations; and Ferrovie Appulo Lucane runs trains to Matera from a separate station building just outside Bari Centrale, toward the left as you walk out onto the large piazza with the buses and fountain. If you drive, parking in blue zones (ZSR) is generally paid Monday to Saturday and free on Sundays and public holidays, except in specifically marked "parking islands" where charges apply around the clock. The city also operates several Park & Ride lots, including Vittorio Veneto in the north, Pane e Pomodoro in the south and Largo 2 Giugno in the central-south; for a flat daily fee the driver receives a return shuttle bus ticket to the city centre, with additional passengers paying a small supplement.

Where to stay

Bari has a limited supply of cheap accommodation, and budget options tend to be clean and modern but a little overpriced by Italian standards. If you're watching your spending, plan ahead: cheap beds are hard to find. Among the budget choices, you'll find hostels and small B&Bs, some with free breakfast, Wi-Fi and lockers, and others offering private rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom in a clean, modern and warm setting. A few budget addresses sit near the Normanno-Svevo castle or within easy reach of the train station, and some places operate as short-term rentals run alongside a main hostel, where you check in and are then directed to your room. Some owners will offer a discount if you help out for a few hours a day.

Mid-range hotels cluster around Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Corso Cavour, putting you a short walk from the old town, while others sit a five-minute walk from the centre or along the SS16 service road with parking, Wi-Fi, a rooftop terrace, garden and bar. For a splurge, you can choose a spa resort a few kilometres from downtown with a wellness centre and swimming pools, a four-star property behind the Petruzzelli Theatre with a panoramic terrace, or hotels with city views, proximity to the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, or a location near the port and airport, some with soundproofed rooms, a spa, gym, sauna and Turkish bath.

Food & drink

Bari's cooking rests on the staples of Apulia: wheat, olive oil and wine, rounded out by the fruit and vegetables grown across the region. Local flour goes into homemade bread and pasta, most famously orecchiette — the ear-shaped pasta also called recchiellette or strascinate — which is classically served with cime di rapa. You'll also find chiancarelle, cavatelli, and baked calzoni stuffed with onions, anchovies, capers and olives. Fried panzerotti with mozzarella, focaccia alla barese with tomatoes, savoury taralli, friselle and sgagliozze (fried slices of polenta) fill out the repertoire, while vegetable minestrone, chickpeas, fava beans, chicory, celery and fennel turn up as first courses or sides. Meat dishes and the local Barese ragù lean on lamb and pork.

Pasta al forno is a Bari staple, historically a Sunday dish or one eaten at the start of Lent to use up rich ingredients like eggs and pork; it's typically made with penne or similar tubular pasta, tomato sauce, small beef and pork meatballs and halved hard-boiled eggs, topped with mozzarella and baked until crisp. Patate riso e cozze and panzerotti are other local favourites. For budget eating, the Old Town has addresses for panzerotti, pizza and sgagliozze, including Maria delle Sgagliozze on Strada delle Crociate; around the Teatro Petruzzelli you'll find the old, informal Osteria Vini e Cucina on Strada Vallisa, which serves traditional, non-posh cooking. Mid-range options include Osteria delle Travi and La Parilla De Juan for Mexican food, while Il Salumaio Puglia sells high-end salumi and wines. For a drink, the Black Lounge bar sits at the exit from Giardino Garibaldi.

What to see and do

Bari rewards wandering, above all in the Old Town, Bari Vecchia, where alleyways and historical buildings sit alongside more than 30 churches. The Basilica of Saint Nicholas, a prototype of Apulian Romanesque architecture, has a gold ceiling and a crypt holding medieval treasures including the cathedra of Bishop Elias; the Palazzo del Catapano and the Church of Saint Gregory stand on the same square. The Cathedral of San Sabino is older still, later refurbished in baroque style, and the Swabian Castle, built in the 12th century and rebuilt under Frederick II, remains the city's symbolic fortress. Elsewhere, the Church of Santa Chiara in Bari Vecchia was rebuilt in baroque style in the early 18th century, and the Church of Sant'Anna, once a synagogue known as "Scola Grande" and later a museum, recalls the city's medieval Jewish community. Note that most churches in Bari Vecchia are closed to tourists and open only on selected festivities such as Good Friday and All Saints Day.

Walk the waterfront on top of the old city walls, passing the Fortino of Saint Antony, an old fort turned into a modern art gallery, and the former Monastery of Saint Scolastica. Evenings can be spent over bars and pubs around Corso Vittorio Emanuele II or Piazza del Ferrarese, or in the discos along the seafront toward San Giorgio. In summer, take the train toward Fasano and get off at Bari Torre Quetta for an evening by the sea. The Teatro Petruzzelli stages prose, opera, ballet and classical music, and football fans can watch Bari SSC at the Stadio San Nicola. The city's biggest recurring events are the Festa di San Nicola, celebrated on December 6 and again in May with historical reconstructions, popular music and a two-day fireworks contest, the Fiera del Levante each September, and the annual Bari International Film Festival.

When to go

Bari has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot, dry summers. Winter is the coolest and wettest stretch of the year, and rain is more likely then than in summer — but because the season stays mild, a visit is comfortable compared with colder parts of Europe.

Summer, by contrast, is hot and dry, with little rain and strong sun. This is peak beach season, so the coast is busy and prices are at their highest.

Three days in Bari

Day one: Start in Bari Vecchia, the medieval heart of the city, where you can wander the lanes around the shrine of Saint Nicholas and trace the layers of Roman Bari beneath the streets. From Bari Centrale, Piazza Aldo Moro puts you at the edge of the old town, so you can spend your first hours on foot before the light fades over the Adriatic Sea.

Day two: Use the city as your base for the wider Metropolitan City and Apulia. Trains from Bari Centrale run to Foggia, Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto, while Rome, Milan, Bologna and Naples are reachable by Italo or Italian rail services. If you prefer to fly, Karol Wojtyła Airport is served by ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Ryanair and Wizzair. Alternatively, stay local and take in the Adriatic air along the waterfront.

Day three: Slow down and let the region's character settle. Tempesta and the pull of the Romance south are part of the draw, and the Adriatic coast shapes daily life here. Whether you end among the old town's stones or by the sea, Bari rewards a stay that moves at the pace of Apulia rather than a checklist.