Introduction: Bari is the most populous city in Puglia, but also one of the most complex and fascinating.
Modern in its newer neighborhoods, bustling with offices, traffic, and factories — yet still deeply authentic in its Old Town: a peninsula stretching into the Adriatic, made of winding alleys, aromas of homemade cooking, “orecchiette” – local pasta – drying on window sills, and voices chasing each other in an dialect that only locals can understand.
Few cities manage to blend metropolitan energy and neighborhood poetry so naturally. It’s like a matryoshka doll: tucked inside the big city, Bari Vecchia is a village that has preserved its authentic soul.
Tour Route: Passing through the main squares of the Old Town —Ferrarese Square and Mercantile Square — which border the modern city center, you’ll fully appreciate the contrasts between the two urban areas.
The walk continues along the remnants of the ancient walls by the sea, with views of the Margherita Theatre, the old harbor with the Fish Market, and the southern promenade.
Next stop is Bari’s Old Town’s iconic building: the Basilica of St. Nicholas, home to the relics of the Bishop of Myra to whom the church is dedicated. This architectural marvel is also a cultural hotspot, hosting religious services for both Catholics and Eastern Orthodox communities from Eastern Europe.
The tour continues through the maze of narrow streets filled with postcard-perfect scenes and lively voices, where residents’ daily lives mingle with visitors’ curiosity — a paradise for photography lovers.
You’ll then reach the Cathedral and the Castle, admired from the outside, and finish at the Arco Basso (“Low Arch”), also known as the “Orecchiette Street,” where local housewives display the typical local pasta and other regional products outside their ground-floor homes.
Price: € 180 – Recommended group size for an optimal experience: up to 15 visitors.
Maximum allowed group size: 20 visitors (above this, a second guide will be required).
Additional Costs: The classic route does not include entrance fees (access to the Basilica of St. Nicholas is currently free). Upon request, you can visit the following with an additional ticket and guided tour included:
The Cathedral, consisting of the upper church, Baroque crypt, and archaeological area featuring Early Medieval and Roman remains, including a beautiful mosaic.
The Castle, once home to Bari’s beloved duchess Bona Sforza, showcasing sculptural decorations spanning from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. It also houses a plaster cast collection of Puglia’s most important Romanesque sculptures. Temporary and archaeological exhibitions in some rooms can be visited without a guide.