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Valley d’Itria is remaining a relatively offbeat destination despite being located in the Puglia region. The valley encompasses towns like Martina-Franca, Cisternino, and Ostuni, places that are called by many, some of the best hidden gems in Italy. Valle d’Itria is a great starting point for exploring the land of the iconic Trulli houses and lies close to many charming, whitewashed towns.
Grotte di Castellana
These spectacular limestone caves, 40km southeast of Bari, are Italy's longest natural subterranean network. The interlinked galleries, first discovered in 1938, contain an incredible range of underground landscapes…
Festival della Valle d’Itria
This summer music festival takes over Martina Franca's venues from mid-July to early August.
Trullo Sovrano
Trullo Sovrano dates in parts to the early 17th century, and is Alberobello's only two-floor trullo.
Museo di Civiltà Preclassiche della Murgia
Located in the Convento delle Monacelle, the museum's most famous exhibit is Delia, a 25,000-year-old expectant mother.
Trulli, gently rolling countryside, olive oil, white wine, capocollo ham, easy access to the beaches of the Adriatic and the Ionian seas and half a dozen really super, picuresque towns, including Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ostuni, Ceglie Messapica and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello... Welcome to the Valle d'Itria, one of Puglia's most popular and attractive areas!
Set on a high fertile plain in the centre of Puglia, the Valle d'Itria stretches from Putignano in the north to Ostuni in the south, its wooded slopes, vineyards and endless olive groves punctuated by the coned roofs of trulli, those unique cylindrical constructions that are peculiar to the area.
The valley in Valle d'Itria's name is not a a typical valley but rather a Karstic depression that runs between Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca.
This geological phenomenon has also created the fascinatingly beautiful caves of Castellana Grotta, which run for about 3km under the north-eastern edge of the Valle d'Itria.
Southeast of Bari, the region isn’t a true valley as the name implies, but rather a plateau with rivers and streams forming small valleys between the hilltop towns.
It’s a beautiful landscape filled with grape vines, olive and fig trees, and distinctive stone trulli buildings.
Every meal we ate was delicious, highlighting fresh and local ingredients. Like many trips to Italy, the food was a true highlight.
Each of the towns has a core centro storico (historic center) surrounded by more modern (and in many cases unattractive) buildings filled with apartments, shops, and restaurants.
The attraction of these towns really is in visiting the centro storico and exploring the alleyways, churches, and piazzas.
LOCOROTONDO
Designated as a borgo più bello d’Italia, one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, Locorotondo is a whitewashed hilltop town.
Centrally located between many of the other towns we hoped to visit, we made Locorotondo our base for our time in the Valle d’Itria.
ALBEROBELLO
Alberobello is the best known town in the region, and for good reason.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello has over 1,500 densely packed trulli—circular stone buildings with conical tops that are built without mortar.
CISTERNINO
Similar to Locorotondo in many ways, it has also been designated as one of the country’s most beautiful cities (borgo più bello d’Italia), and you find lots of small alleyways for wandering in the centro storico.
We were unable to visit the historic Chiesa di San Nicola as it was closed the afternoon we were there, but you can get good views of the countryside from Piazza Garibaldi, across the street from the church, and the Torre Civica, the Norman Swabian tower which helped to protect the city, is next to the church as well.
MARTINA FRANCA
Martina Franca is the highest town by elevation on the Murgia plateau, and until the unification of Italy in 1861 it was a walled city with 24 towers and four gates, evidence of which you can still see today.
NOCI
Noci reminded us of what Locorotondo may have been like in the days before discovery by tourists.
OSTUNI
Appropriately nicknamed la città bianca or “the white city,” Ostuni’s location just a few kilometers from the Adriatic gives this hilltop city great views of the water that are unique.
Its historic center is located on a steep hill, with the beautiful 15th century co-cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta at the top.
The combination of an attractive historic town and proximity to the beach means Ostuni sees more tourists than many other towns in the area, but it still didn’t feel too touristy.
There were plenty of restaurants, cafes, and small hotels that make it feel like it would be a great place to stay.
THE CUISINE OF PUGLIA
With its warm, Mediterranean climate and mix of coastline and hilly farmland, Puglia is blessed with a bounty of local ingredients that make its cuisine some of the best in Italy. Traditional dishes are based on seasonally available produce, meat, or seafood, and the simple recipes highlight and accentuate the flavors of these ingredients.
La Valle d'Itria è una porzione di territorio della Puglia centrale a cavallo tra la città metropolitana di Bari e le province di Brindisi e Taranto.
Il suo territorio coincide con la parte meridionale dell'altopiano delle Murge: in senso stretto è la depressione carsica che si estende tra gli abitati di Locorotondo, Cisternino e Martina Franca.
La principale peculiarità della valle sono i trulli, tipiche ed esclusive abitazioni in pietra a forma di cono, le masserie e il paesaggio rurale in genere caratterizzato dall'elevato uso della pietra locale utilizzata per costruire muri a secco e dal terreno di colore rosso acceso, tipico della Puglia meridionale.
La Valle d'Itria accoglie il visitatore con distese di ulivi senza eguali, alberi nati da una terra rossa che profuma e rende il panorama attorno un susseguirsi di effetti cromatici meravigliosi.
Nota anche come la Valle dei Trulli, si estende tra le provincie pugliesi di Bari, Brindisi e Taranto e comprende i comuni di Alberobello, Carovigno, Castellana Grotte, Ceglie Messapica, Cisternino, Fasano, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Noci, Ostuni, Putignano, San Michele Salentino, San Vito dei Normanni e Villa Castelli.
La visita alle Grotte di Castellana, aperte tutto l'anno, si effettua con l'ausilio di guide turistiche esperte.
Passeggiate, laboratori e degustazioni presso le numerose masserie didattiche, ovvero aziende agrituristiche distribuite in tutto il territorio che propongono, per le scuole, ma non solo, esperienze dirette di osservazione e studio, e poi manipolazioni, raccolta frutti, partecipazione alle varie fasi di trasformazione dei prodotti agricoli, creazione di piccoli oggetti in giunco, degustazione di prodotti tipici.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_d%27Itria
http://www.italia.it/it/idee-di-viaggio/natura-e-paesaggio/ostuni-e-la-valle-ditria.html
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/valle-d-itria/top-things-to-do/a/poi/1325145
https://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/thinkpuglia/guide-to-puglia/geography-of-puglia/valle-ditria.aspx
https://wherethesnowsgo.com/2018/07/08/bella-puglia/
https://www.viaggiareinpuglia.it/ter/PE14/en/Itria-Valley-and-Murgia-dei-trulli
https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/8-towns-not-to-miss-in-puglia/
Grotte di Castellana
These spectacular limestone caves, 40km southeast of Bari, are Italy's longest natural subterranean network. The interlinked galleries, first discovered in 1938, contain an incredible range of underground landscapes…
Festival della Valle d’Itria
This summer music festival takes over Martina Franca's venues from mid-July to early August.
Trullo Sovrano
Trullo Sovrano dates in parts to the early 17th century, and is Alberobello's only two-floor trullo.
Museo di Civiltà Preclassiche della Murgia
Located in the Convento delle Monacelle, the museum's most famous exhibit is Delia, a 25,000-year-old expectant mother.
Trulli, gently rolling countryside, olive oil, white wine, capocollo ham, easy access to the beaches of the Adriatic and the Ionian seas and half a dozen really super, picuresque towns, including Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ostuni, Ceglie Messapica and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello... Welcome to the Valle d'Itria, one of Puglia's most popular and attractive areas!
Set on a high fertile plain in the centre of Puglia, the Valle d'Itria stretches from Putignano in the north to Ostuni in the south, its wooded slopes, vineyards and endless olive groves punctuated by the coned roofs of trulli, those unique cylindrical constructions that are peculiar to the area.
The valley in Valle d'Itria's name is not a a typical valley but rather a Karstic depression that runs between Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca.
This geological phenomenon has also created the fascinatingly beautiful caves of Castellana Grotta, which run for about 3km under the north-eastern edge of the Valle d'Itria.
Southeast of Bari, the region isn’t a true valley as the name implies, but rather a plateau with rivers and streams forming small valleys between the hilltop towns.
It’s a beautiful landscape filled with grape vines, olive and fig trees, and distinctive stone trulli buildings.
Every meal we ate was delicious, highlighting fresh and local ingredients. Like many trips to Italy, the food was a true highlight.
Each of the towns has a core centro storico (historic center) surrounded by more modern (and in many cases unattractive) buildings filled with apartments, shops, and restaurants.
The attraction of these towns really is in visiting the centro storico and exploring the alleyways, churches, and piazzas.
LOCOROTONDO
Designated as a borgo più bello d’Italia, one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, Locorotondo is a whitewashed hilltop town.
Centrally located between many of the other towns we hoped to visit, we made Locorotondo our base for our time in the Valle d’Itria.
ALBEROBELLO
Alberobello is the best known town in the region, and for good reason.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello has over 1,500 densely packed trulli—circular stone buildings with conical tops that are built without mortar.
CISTERNINO
Similar to Locorotondo in many ways, it has also been designated as one of the country’s most beautiful cities (borgo più bello d’Italia), and you find lots of small alleyways for wandering in the centro storico.
We were unable to visit the historic Chiesa di San Nicola as it was closed the afternoon we were there, but you can get good views of the countryside from Piazza Garibaldi, across the street from the church, and the Torre Civica, the Norman Swabian tower which helped to protect the city, is next to the church as well.
MARTINA FRANCA
Martina Franca is the highest town by elevation on the Murgia plateau, and until the unification of Italy in 1861 it was a walled city with 24 towers and four gates, evidence of which you can still see today.
NOCI
Noci reminded us of what Locorotondo may have been like in the days before discovery by tourists.
OSTUNI
Appropriately nicknamed la città bianca or “the white city,” Ostuni’s location just a few kilometers from the Adriatic gives this hilltop city great views of the water that are unique.
Its historic center is located on a steep hill, with the beautiful 15th century co-cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta at the top.
The combination of an attractive historic town and proximity to the beach means Ostuni sees more tourists than many other towns in the area, but it still didn’t feel too touristy.
There were plenty of restaurants, cafes, and small hotels that make it feel like it would be a great place to stay.
THE CUISINE OF PUGLIA
With its warm, Mediterranean climate and mix of coastline and hilly farmland, Puglia is blessed with a bounty of local ingredients that make its cuisine some of the best in Italy. Traditional dishes are based on seasonally available produce, meat, or seafood, and the simple recipes highlight and accentuate the flavors of these ingredients.
La Valle d'Itria è una porzione di territorio della Puglia centrale a cavallo tra la città metropolitana di Bari e le province di Brindisi e Taranto.
Il suo territorio coincide con la parte meridionale dell'altopiano delle Murge: in senso stretto è la depressione carsica che si estende tra gli abitati di Locorotondo, Cisternino e Martina Franca.
La principale peculiarità della valle sono i trulli, tipiche ed esclusive abitazioni in pietra a forma di cono, le masserie e il paesaggio rurale in genere caratterizzato dall'elevato uso della pietra locale utilizzata per costruire muri a secco e dal terreno di colore rosso acceso, tipico della Puglia meridionale.
La Valle d'Itria accoglie il visitatore con distese di ulivi senza eguali, alberi nati da una terra rossa che profuma e rende il panorama attorno un susseguirsi di effetti cromatici meravigliosi.
Nota anche come la Valle dei Trulli, si estende tra le provincie pugliesi di Bari, Brindisi e Taranto e comprende i comuni di Alberobello, Carovigno, Castellana Grotte, Ceglie Messapica, Cisternino, Fasano, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Noci, Ostuni, Putignano, San Michele Salentino, San Vito dei Normanni e Villa Castelli.
La visita alle Grotte di Castellana, aperte tutto l'anno, si effettua con l'ausilio di guide turistiche esperte.
Passeggiate, laboratori e degustazioni presso le numerose masserie didattiche, ovvero aziende agrituristiche distribuite in tutto il territorio che propongono, per le scuole, ma non solo, esperienze dirette di osservazione e studio, e poi manipolazioni, raccolta frutti, partecipazione alle varie fasi di trasformazione dei prodotti agricoli, creazione di piccoli oggetti in giunco, degustazione di prodotti tipici.
Valle d’Itria Puglia region What to see Best hidden gems in italy Selected websites Top experiences Tourist attractions City guides:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_d%27Itria
http://www.italia.it/it/idee-di-viaggio/natura-e-paesaggio/ostuni-e-la-valle-ditria.html
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/valle-d-itria/top-things-to-do/a/poi/1325145
https://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/thinkpuglia/guide-to-puglia/geography-of-puglia/valle-ditria.aspx
https://wherethesnowsgo.com/2018/07/08/bella-puglia/
https://www.viaggiareinpuglia.it/ter/PE14/en/Itria-Valley-and-Murgia-dei-trulli
https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/8-towns-not-to-miss-in-puglia/
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