We will be in Puglia for a week September 14-21. This will be our first time in that part of Italy and we are very much looking forward to it - but I'm a little intimidated trying to come up with an itinerary.

We are 2 couples in our 50's - We rented a Trullo just outside Cisternino and that will be our base for the week. This week comes after a week in San Sebastian Spain and then a week in Umbria. We will have a car and love food, wine and countryside.

How would you rank the nearby towns in terms of must-see?

On my list are: Ostuni, Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Monopoly, Lecce... I'd love to visit Matera but don't know if that's too far. We don't want to be in a car all day long...

Any recommendations on places to visit and great restaurants are appreciated.

I am considering doing a tour one day using toursbylocals to visit a few wineries, wine harvest and maybe have a meal. Has anyone had any experience with them, or another tour guide to recommend?

Thanks - Patty

IMO, Lecce is not to be missed.

Matera is quite impressive. You might want to consider spending a night there.

I also thought the cathedral in Trani well worth seeing.

Thanks kja - can you tell me why Lecce? The pictures are beautiful, how much time would you recommend - an entire day? Any good restaurant recommendations?

Trani is almost 2 hours away, but I did get a good recommendation for a restaurant there - Le Lampare al Fortino. Maybe that should be a day trip also!

I would like to do Matera also... the pictures are so dramatic. But I don't think will stay overnight, since we have already booked our accommodations.

> can you tell me why Lecce?

Lecce Baroque is just so utterly and completely over-the-top that I sometimes found myself laughing out loud. I'm not usually that fond of baroque architecture, but I found it remarkable. It's in a lovely light, creamy colored stone, so it looks almost like meringue, unexpectedly juxtaposed with the town's Roman and Greek theaters. How much time to give it depends on what you want to see and experience, but I would think a full day would generally work. Be prepared for a very long siesta there.

Here's an old thread that covers the restaurants I went to in Puglia,
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm

but I think you'll do better by looking for the thread by ekscrunchy

I have read ekscrunchy thread's and just finished reading HG001London's. Got some great ideas from both and can't wait to experience the food in Puglia!

Lecce is on the list now - thank you.

And thank you for your restaurant recommendations. The Grotta Palazzese is on my list too - looks so lovely. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it.

Again, thanks for the information.

I really enjoyed the Grotta Palazzese, but its recent reviews haven't been as good as they once were.

Enjoy your time in Puglia!

We spent a week in Puglia last year and just loved it! Lecce is definitely worth a vist.

You can read our trip report with all our details http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-do-italy.cfm

ttt getting married in Lecce in Sept so on for the ride

Thanks Jamikins - what a great trip report! I enjoyed reading about your week in Puglia.

Yet antoher trip report if you are interested is mine :

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-nights.cfm

Have a fabulous time!!

All of the towns on your list are worth a look, but I would put Monopoli in last place, just because the others are more interesting.

Alberobello can be seen in an hour or so; be sure to include more touristy Rione Montii zone, as well as the less touristed trulli zone, the Rione Aia Piccola, closer to the center of town...when you are in the latter, have a look at the trulli house museum, the Trullo Sovrano.

About an hour and a half to drive from Cisternino (beautiful town!!) to Matera. Very worthwhile!!!

Thanks Flame for sending the link to your trip report - I look forward to reading it!

Eskcrunchy, thanks for responding. When I read your trip report all I wanted to do was duplicate yours - it sounds so great!

I was very interested in doing the Sunday lunch at the Masseria Barbera - but since we are spending most of Saturday in the car getting from Umbria to Puglia, I wasn't sure if we would be up for a 2 hour drive on Sunday to the Masseria. Do you know if they are open any other days of the week for lunch? I've tried to email them but have not had a response.

Thank you!

I will check my notes and post if I get more info on the opening hours. One Italian site indicates that they are open every day, but that may not be true...

But even if they are open other days for lunch, I think that Sunday would be the best time, since part of the fun was watching all the families that filled the other tables. I am not sure if they would have that gargantuan set lunch on the other days, or if you would be limited to an a la carte menu. The drive from Cisternino seems to be just under 2 hours....maybe you could do that, and combine with a visit to Trani on Sunday?

Do you think that the owners of your rental trullo could find out the information, ad book a table for you. Booking is mandatory for Sunday lunch, in any case, but you might be able to call them from Umbria, perhaps??

I wrote an earlier report on Puglia, too, so check that for additional information on where to eat!

I am SO excited for you. We will not be able to return this year so I will get vicarious thrills from reading your report to come!! Let me know if you need other help; I am always happy to respond to queries about the area.

If you love food and wine, PUglia cant be beat. I agree that all the towns you listed are great and Monopoli the least interesting. We spent little time in Alberobello as it was the most crowded of all the places we visited. Matera was fascinating and if you go try to d a tour with Natalie I believe was her name. She's in our TR as well as some others. .
Here's out TR from last Fall.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...a-short-tr.cfm
Have a wonderful trip!

Correction on the Matera guide -- Her name is Nadia and this is the email I used to contact her

[email protected]

One thing to bear in mind at that time of year in Puglia is that towns tend to close up fairly tightly in the middle of the day. So if you want to enjoy visiting a town, it can be better to plan a morning of scenic driving or beach going, a long lunch, and then sightsee in your target town after 4pm, when things will be reopening.

I'm sure yestravel was speaking poetically, but for food and wine, I do think Puglia is readily beat by many other destinations in Italy (and Europe). However, food in Puglia is "gargantuan", so pace yourself. I wouldn't eat much the day before and I wouldn't plan to eat much the day after either. The fun of Puglian eating I think is sampling specialties not readily available elsewhere, not eating massive quantities of food.

I thought the area around Cisternino was the prettiest part of Puglia, and scenic drives in the area are worth taking at a leisurely pace. I have heard Oria is a particularly nice, untouristy town. Martina Franca would be on my hit list, and I found Bari to be totally enjoyable (after 4pm) and with excellent food. Everything about Taranto fascinates me, but so does Gary, Indiana and Lead, S.D. -- except I wish both had such a great museum, and if you are enjoy museums, Taranto has some world class treasures. It is less than an hour from Cisternino.

In the end, if you can find a way to spend a night in Matera, it is the greatest sight in the region.

I pass along this link with pictures because I think it helps convey just how massive meals can be in Puglia, hence my caution about pacing. Although the meal described was in Monopoli, I think it is typical of the region. Unlike San Sebastian, where you can set your own pace, it can be quite a challenge to confront a restaurant meal in Puglia. Best advice is to eat very slowly.

This link also contains some minor info about Cisternino and surrounds

http://helengraves.co.uk/2011/06/eating-in-puglia/

PSGMARTINO, one more thought:

It is possible to get accommodations in Matera that are really favorably priced, less than 100e per night for a double I realize you have already booked in Cisternino, but you might consider an overnight in Matera, despite leaving an empty lodging behind, extravagant as that sounds. It is less than the price of many dinners in Italy.

Since you are traveling in summer, I suggest you drive to Matera after lunch one day, to arrive before 6pm. Join the wonderful evening stroll and enjoy the memorable views, have dinner, sleep, and wake up the next morning and tour the town before it gets too hot. You can stay for lunch or head out of town for lunch.

It is not easy to return to Puglia or Basiicata, so if this is your only chance to see Matera, you might not want to pass it by. It is an unusual artifact of human civilization -- which might one day make a comeback! -- and certainly one of the most important sites in southern Italy.

Sorry - I haven't checked this post for awhile and really appreciate all the information.

Ekscrunchy - thanks for the tip of your earlier trip report - I'll look forward to reading that one, too! I would love to do the Sunday lunch and it's not that far... Good idea to combine with Trani.

Yestravel - thank you for the recommendation of Nadia in Matera. I have contacted Guide Matera - I read somewhere on Fodors about this site and they have a guide named Nadia that was recommended. I wonder if this is the same Nadia? I'll reach out to yours to double check.

stevewith - thanks for the link with the pictures - my mouth is watering!! I'll check with the group about the overnight in Matera... Originally that was in my plan, but then we found the Trullo rental and changed course. Any recommendations for a nice but not pricey hotel?

Thank you!!

In Matera we stayed at Residence San Giorgio. It had a variety of places that you could rent and were not pricey if I recall correctly. There were quite a lot of small places in Matera that may have been very reasonably priced, but can't help you with the names. I would really try to spend the night if for no other reason than to see the town at night when it is esp lovely.
Don't know if that is the same Nadia as the guide we used. As you mention, I would contact Nadia directly.