The route leads from Bari via Alberobello and Ostuni into Salento to Lecce and Otranto, then across Apulia to Matera and to the Tyrrhenian Coast to Maratea. The longest leg from Otranto to Matera takes a good three hours. In Matera, park your campervan outside the Sassi.
16 Days / 15 Nights
May–October
RV Friendly
7 stops
Why This Route?
For campers combining Puglia's coasts, Matera's cave dwellings and Basilicata's cliffs on one trip.
Hidden Gems
Christ statue on Monte San Biagio above Maratea
Belvedere Murgia Timone opposite the Sassi of Matera
Cava di Bauxite near Otranto, a red bauxite quarry with a green lake
Itinerary
Stop 1 • 2 Nights
Bari
City
Rich in culture and history. Culinary highlights and Dreamy beaches.
Bari is the capital of Apulia and has approximately 315,000 inhabitants. In the winding old town, Bari Vecchia, stand the Basilica San Nicola with the relics of Saint Nicholas and the San Sabino Cathedral; on Via dell'Arco Basso, women shape orecchiette pasta outside their doorways.
7 Sights
5 Restaurants
Culture and History
Bari developed in Roman times along the Via Traiana and, from 975, was the seat of the Byzantine Katepan, the governor for Southern Italy. In 1071, the Normans conquered the city.In 1087, sailors from Bari brought the relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to the city. The Basilica San Nicola, erected over them, is considered one of the prototypes of Apulian Romanesque; an apse in the crypt is reserved for Orthodox worship. The Romanesque Cathedral San Sabino was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Roger II had the Castello Normanno-Svevo built in 1131; Frederick II rebuilt it.Bari Vecchia preserves its Byzantine street plan and has about 40 churches. On Via dell'Arco Basso, women still make Orecchiette before their doorways. From 1813, the new town developed under Joachim Murat.
Rich in culture and history. Perfect for an exciting city trip and Perfect for relaxed travel without rush.
Alberobello is located in the Valle d'Itria in the Metropolitan City of Bari and is known for its Trulli, houses built of roughly hewn limestone using dry-stone techniques without mortar, with conical roofs made of stone slabs. Since 1996, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage site.The two Trulli districts are Rione Monti and Aia Piccola.
3 Sights
5 Restaurants
History of the Trulli
In the early 16th century, Count Andrea Matteo III. Acquaviva d'Aragona settled peasant families here. He only allowed houses made of dry stone masonry without mortar; this allowed him to avoid paying taxes to the Spanish Viceroy in the Kingdom of Naples.In 1797, King Ferdinand IV. elevated Alberobello to a royal town, thereby ending feudal rule.The tips of the conical roofs, the pinnacoli, are often decoratively designed and were considered by many to be the signature of the respective master builder.
Perfect for an exciting city trip. Rich in culture and history.
Ostuni is situated on three hills at the edge of the Murgia, about 7.5 kilometers from the Adriatic coast. The lime-whitewashed houses of the old town have earned it the nickname Città Bianca, the white city.In the old town, alleys, stairs, and arches lead up to the cathedral with its late Gothic facade and a large rose window. Surrounding the city lies the Piana degli Ulivi with numerous monumental olive trees.
2 Sights
2 Restaurants
History and Traditions
Discoveries from the surrounding grottoes attest to settlement since the Paleolithic Age. The most famous is the Donna di Ostuni, the approximately 28,000-year-old skeleton of a pregnant woman found in the Grotto Santa Maria di Agnano in 1991; a cast of the burial site can be seen in the city's museum.The whitewash of the houses brightened the narrow medieval alleys; during the 17th-century plague, it was also considered a disinfectant.On August 26, the Cavalcata di Sant'Oronzo takes place, where riders in red uniforms on richly adorned horses parade through the streets in honor of the city's patron saint.
Rich in culture and history. Perfect for an exciting city trip.
Lecce, Salento's provincial capital, has an old town shaped by baroque churches and palaces, built from the region's light, soft, dense limestone, the *pietra leccese*. Its easy workability fostered a unique, richly ornamented Baroque style here in the 17th century.Roman remains, including the Amphitheater on Piazza Sant'Oronzo and the Theater in the old town, lie beside the baroque facades. The city's territory stretches over 20 kilometers of coast to the Adria.
5 Sights
3 Restaurants
History and the Baroque
Lecce dates back to a Messapian settlement and was known as Lupiae in Roman times. From this era stem the amphitheater, about a third of which is visible, and the Augustan-era theater. On Piazza Sant'Oronzo stands a column that Brindisi gifted to the city.In the 17th century, the Barocco leccese spread with densely ornamented facades. An important master builder was Giuseppe Zimbalo, who rebuilt the Cathedral. Karl V. had the castle fortified from 1539; in his honor, Porta Napoli was erected in 1548.Papier-mâché figures, the cartapesta, are a traditional craft of Lecce.
Otranto is located on the Adriatic coast of Salento. Just south of the city, Punta Palascìa marks Italy's easternmost point, and is also the closest point to Albania.The old town, with its Norman Cathedral and Aragonese Castle, overlooks the harbor. North of the city lie the Laghi Alimini and the Baia dei Turchi.
3 Sights
3 Restaurants
History and Culture
Otranto was a Messapian settlement and later a Roman one, who called it Hydruntum. The Basilian monks of the Monastery of San Nicola di Casole, a few kilometers south of the city, possessed one of the largest libraries in the Western world, which was destroyed in 1480.In July 1480, Ottoman troops landed and besieged the city for about two weeks; it fell on August 11th. Around 800 inhabitants, who refused to renounce their faith, were executed on August 14th. Pope Francis canonized them in 2013 as the Martyrs of Otranto; a part of their remains is kept in the cathedral. In 1481, Alfonso of Aragon recaptured the city; from 1485, the new castle was built.The cathedral's mosaic was created by a team led by the Basilian monk Pantaleone between 1163 and 1165. It depicts, along a Tree of Life, scenes from the Old Testament, chivalric epics, animals from medieval bestiaries, and the Romance of Alexander.
Matera in Basilicata is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its old town, the Sassi, comprises cave dwellings, rock churches, and houses carved over centuries into the tufa stone on the edge of a deep gorge. In the 1950s, the Sassi were evacuated due to poverty and poor hygiene; since 1993, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage site and are now re-inhabited, with hotels, restaurants, and museums in the caves. In 2019, Matera was a European Capital of Culture. Opposite the city, across the Gravina gorge, lies the Murgia Park, featuring more cave churches and the most famous view of the Sassi. The alleys and stairs are steep; comfortable shoes are necessary.
7 Sights
4 Restaurants
Culture
The caves on the edge of the Gravina Gorge have been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the Middle Ages, numerous rock churches were built, some with frescoes.After the Second World War, due to poverty and poor hygienic conditions, the Sassi were considered "the shame of Italy". A 1952 law relocated residents to new neighborhoods. Later, the Sassi were renovated; in 1993 they were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 2019 Matera was European Capital of Culture.The city served as the filming location for many films, including Pasolini's "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo" (1964). On July 2nd, Matera celebrates the Festa della Bruna in honor of its patron saint, culminating in the destruction of a papier-mâché float.
Stunning nature and outdoors. Dreamy beaches and Perfect for relaxed travel without rush.
Maratea is the only town in Basilicata situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the Gulf of Policastro. The municipality stretches for approximately 32 kilometers along a steep coast and comprises several districts: the old town on the hillside, and along the coast, among others, Acquafredda, Fiumicello, Porto, and Marina.Monte San BiagioAbove the old town, on Monte San Biagio, stands the Christ statue from 1965 next to the pilgrimage church of the town's patron saint. From there, you can overlook the coast and the hinterland.CoastBetween steep rock faces lie sand and pebble beaches and small coves, some of which are only accessible from the sea. Over 130 grottoes are recorded within the municipal area.
6 Sights
3 Restaurants
Culture
Maratea is known as the "City of 44 Churches" due to its many churches and chapels. The Basilica di San Biagio on the mountain is the sanctuary of the city's patron saint, Blasius. From the first Saturday to the second Sunday in May, the transfer of his relics to Maratea is celebrated with processions.The statue of Christ was created by the Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti in 1965 at the suggestion of entrepreneur Stefano Rivetti. Rivetti came to Maratea in the mid-1950s, built the first modern hotel, and made the town known as a holiday destination.
