Puglia's most striking tourist attraction - because it is so unique - is the
trulli district, around
Alberobello (a UNESCO World Heritage site). A
trullo is a simple dry-stone-walled building with a domed roof topped by a cone. They are dotted around the green Valle d'Itria, and in Alberobello the town's large clusters of white-washed
trulli create an unusual and memorable scene. Also striking, in a more sophisticated style, is
Lecce, a town famed for its baroque beauty: all golden stone and elegant seventeenth-century architecture with riots of cherubs and foliage. On the whole, the smaller towns of Puglia, and the countryside, make better holiday destinations than the big port cities.
Martina Franca,
Locorotondo, Cisternino and Ostuni are all picturesque hilltop towns scattered around the Valle d'Itria. Along the coast,
Otranto is one of the most attractive seaside resorts, with a picturesque old town and blue waters. Around
Taranto there are fascinating underground sanctuaries and churches, while at Castellana Grotte, close to Alberobello, there are impressive natural caverns offering guided tours.
