Bari used to be a powerful port on the Adriatic Sea coast. It has a beautiful promenade and a charmingly quaint old city center.
Things to do in Bari
Take a tour in Bari Vecchia
Go out and see the streets in Bari Old Town. You can try a walking tour like this one for a couple of hours.
I like to join a walking or a food tour at the beginning of a trip. It gives me a good starting point, and I also get a lot of information about the city and tips about good places where locals eat, away from the tourists’ main path. Sometimes, I get lucky enough to meet a passionate and knowledgeable guide. That way, I can understand the history of a place while making sure I’ll eat well during my stay.
In fact, we booked a bike tour in Bari on the very first day and were really happy with it.
The Old Harbour
In the morning, you should visit the fish market in Porto Vecchio where local fishermen prepare and sell their fresh catch. You can try shrimps, octopus, oysters, or sea urchins fresh out of the sea. If you’re not into fish, just observe and take in the atmosphere.
Lungomare
Bari is set on the Adriatic Sea coast and has a beautiful promenade. Take a walk and enjoy the views around the Old City and further along the coast. It is also a perfect place for a run in the morning.
Saint Nicholas Cathedral
Don’t miss the Saint Nicholas Cathedral and its unique architecture. Aside from the Catholic Cathedral, there is also an Orthodox Church in the crypt.
The church also has an impressive golden ceiling and hosts the grave of St. Nicholas.
Visit Castello Svevo
Castello Svevo was built during the 12th century and is still in great condition. Its location between Bari Old Town and the sea makes it perfect for taking great photos.
Enjoy the food
Stop for a slice of focaccia barese, something closer to bread than to pizza, topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, oregano, and a bit of olive oil. It’s a tasty and hearty snack that will keep you going until you decide where you’ll have some orecchiette for lunch.
Wander in Bari Old City
Wandering will probably get you lost on those maze-like streets in Bari Vecchia, but that’s the best way to discover it. You’ll be surprised with the alleys where every house has the door open, and it feels as if you’re passing through somebody’s living room. On “the pasta street”, women stay outside the houses forming pasta and letting it dry before selling it. You can also take great photos on those streets where every house has laundry hanging outside.
About dinner
Italians in this region eat late in the evening. If you are used to having dinner around 7 p.m. like me, you might feel discouraged if most places are empty and some are still closed at that time. Don’t worry, do as the locals do, and take a stroll, la passeggiata, before dinner.
La passeggiata
La passeggiata is common throughout Italy, but here in the south, it is almost mandatory. Locals go out at night and take a walk, meet their friends and neighbors, and chat for a few minutes. There is a feeling of a tight community. Plus, the daily walks might have something to do with Italians not usually getting fat despite all that delicious pasta.
If your legs refuse to take you any further after a long day exploring every single street, just take an aperitivo and choose a table outside to watch this ritual.
Close to 9 pm everybody heads to dinner and the restaurants fill quickly, don’t be the last to find a table. Try a tagliere with local salami and cheeses and a local dish like Mussels with rice and potatoes, a mix that didn’t really make sense to me, but I found it very rich and tasty. A glass of Primitivo might be the perfect way to end the evening.
I would suggest spending 2 or 3 days in Bari. If you have more time, there are a lot of incredible places to explore in the region. Find out more about the trips you can take in my itinerary.
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Lovely suggestions…we would love to visit someday !!!
It’s well worth a couple of days 😀
Wow – Bari looks beautiful. Never been south of Rome so this gives me loads of inspiration! Thanks for sharing 😊
I love southern Italy, the rhythm is so laid back, it’s almost another country. Thank you for stopping by, Paul.
What a great list of suggestions! When we visited Rome last year we definitely struggled with the late dinner times so taking part in la passeggiata would probably help.
Oh, in Rome there are a lot of possibilities to eat at any hour, it Bari most restaurants are closed till 8pm.
Great post, Bari looks a lovely place to visit 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
It is, it was a pleasant surprise. Thank you for reading Nic.
This gave me travel envy for sure!
It’s a great weekend destination.