Foggia

Introduction

Foggia is a city and municipality in the Apulia region of southern Italy, and it serves as the capital of the province of Foggia. You'll find it in the southern part of the country, within a region known for its distinctive character.

Before you go

Foggia is the capital of its province in the Puglia region, and the surrounding area is agricultural, known for olives, grains, grapes and buffalo mozzarella. Bear this in mind when planning: the city is a working provincial centre rather than a resort town.

Getting there

Foggia's own airport, Gino Lisa, has links to only a handful of Italian towns, so many travellers fly into Rome, Naples or Bari instead; Bari is the closest of the three. By rail, there are good connections from Rome taking around three and a half hours, while a high-speed train from Milan covers the distance in just under seven hours. The railway station sits in the centre, a block away from a National rental car office if you want to continue by road.

The bus station is directly in front of the railway station, and AirBus connects Foggia with the Campanian cities of Naples and Ariano Irpino.

Getting around

Foggia's historic centre is compact and easy to cover on foot, and many of the main sights sit within strolling distance of one another. On foot you can take in the cathedral of Santa Maria de Fovea, with its Romanesque lower level and Baroque upper section rebuilt after the 1731 earthquake, along with Palazzo Dogana, the Chiesa delle Croci, I Tre Archi and the Arco di Federico II. For longer hops across town, or to reach sights outside the core, the bus is the practical option.

Buses are the backbone of local transport, run by APT Foggia, with routes covering the city centre, the outskirts and some surrounding towns; buses are generally modern, clean and well maintained, with some air-conditioned. There is a bus stop directly outside Foggia railway station, and the ride to the central Piazza Cavour takes about ten minutes, with stops around the city generally clearly marked. Single tickets can be bought on board or in advance at ticket booths, including at Piazza Cavour and the train station, and a 24-hour day pass gives unlimited bus travel and is worth it if you plan several trips in a day. Buses run roughly every 15–30 minutes at peak times, with longer waits in the late evening and at weekends, and occasional delays do happen, so allow a little slack if you are connecting to a train. Carry some cash, as smaller ticket vendors may not accept cards, and note that signs and timetables are generally in Italian, so translation and real-time tracking apps are useful companions. Buses are also handy for sights a bit further out, such as the Museo Civico di Foggia, roughly a twenty-minute ride from the centre, and Parco Urbano Karol Wojtyla.

• Regional operators connect Foggia with the wider area; Autolinee del Gargano links the city to other towns in the region, including Vieste.
• Popular day trips by bus include the Gargano National Park, about an hour away, and Lucera, around half an hour away, where you can see Roman ruins and a medieval castle.
• Foggia railway station is the main rail hub and a major junction for southern Italy, with straightforward connections onward to other parts of Apulia and beyond; the bus station sits just in front of it, and a National rental car office is a block away.
• Taxis are concentrated around the major squares, notably Piazza Cavour, and make most sense for short trips with luggage, late-night journeys, or when buses are running infrequently; ride-sharing is also available.
• Gino Lisa Airport has limited connections, so many visitors fly into Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport, with Rome and Naples also viable alternatives; from those airports the train is the natural way to reach Foggia.
• Base yourself near the centre or the station to walk to many sights and reach the rest by bus, and keep small change for tickets from smaller vendors.

Where to stay

For a mid-range stay, the Hotel Mercure Cicolella puts you next to the train station, a rental car agency and the downtown businesses, which makes it a practical base for arriving by rail and getting around on foot. High-speed internet is available for an extra fee, breakfast is included, and rooms facing inside are the quieter choice if street noise bothers you.

Food & drink

Foggia has plenty of restaurants, and several good ones sit around the Old Town, so you can eat well without straying far from its lanes. For pizza, head to Da Nino al Grottino on the edge of the Old Town, around the corner from the Teatro: it is a lively spot with a wood-fired oven, a generous antipasto spread and good service, and it tends to fill up later in the evening. On the opposite side of the Teatro, Giordano Da Pompeo sets a more formal tone with white linen tablecloths, while Del Cacciatore Di Gaetana, a block from the Grottino, serves great food in a family-style setting.

For traditional cooking built on local ingredients, try Nenna Nè on Via Cirillo Domenico. When you feel like something simpler, Casa Nik on Via Saverio Altamura lets you order prosciutto, a seafood pasta dish, or just wine and dessert while you watch the street scene from your table.

What to see and do

Start in the Old Town with a walk along via Arpi from via Fuiani, following it to the end where you reach the 3 Archi, the remains of the town's old walls. Along the way, wander the small streets and squares that open off the route, and stop at the Cathedral.

• Visit the farmer's market on via Rosati, held every morning.
• Use Foggia as a base for Lucera, an old walled city nearby.
• Head out to the adjacent Gargano peninsula.

When to go

Foggia has a Mediterranean climate, with summers that are very hot and dry and winters that are generally mild. July and August are the most intense months, when the heat can make midday sightseeing uncomfortable, so plan your exploring around early mornings and evenings and keep the middle of the day for shade, a long lunch or an indoor break.

Winter days are mild but can turn chilly, and frost occurs a handful of times a year; low temperatures usually stay above freezing, so snow is not a typical feature of a visit. Spring and autumn sit between these extremes and are the most comfortable times to be out in the city for much of the day.

Three days in Foggia

Day one: Start in Foggia itself, getting your bearings around Piazza Cavour before turning to the historic centre. Look for the Chiesa delle Croci and the Tre Archi, and take in the Baroque character of the streets around Palazzo Dogana. The Museo Civico gives you the city's background, and if you need a breather, the Parco Urbano Karol Wojtyla is a green space to slow down in.

• Piazza Cavour
• Chiesa delle Croci
• Tre Archi
• Palazzo Dogana
• Museo Civico
• Parco Urbano Karol Wojtyla

Day two: Use Foggia as your base for the wider region of Puglia. Buses run by APT Foggia and Autolinee Regional connect the city with other towns, so you can plan a day out without a car. Keep your itinerary flexible and check connections locally, since services vary by season.

• APT Foggia
• Autolinee Regional

Day three: Spend your last day on the slower pleasures of the city. Return to the centro storico for a morning walk, revisit the Romanesque and Baroque corners you passed earlier, and leave time for a relaxed lunch before heading onward. If you are flying out, Gino Lisa is the local airport, with connections toward Rome, Naples, Bari and Milan.

• Gino Lisa
• Rome
• Naples
• Bari
• Milan