Apulia

Really Italian – really beautiful.

On this tour you discover the unique landscape between the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea, embedded in warm hospitality of Southern Italy. History and culture, vino and pasta, beautiful beaches and picturesque cliffs await you. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Hohenstaufen and Habsburgs have left their mark on Apulia. Recovered sunken cities, deserted medieval villages, Alberobello (the capital of the trulli), Ostuni (the "white city"), Gallipoli (urban pearl with a lively fishing atmosphere), Santa Maria di Leuca (splendor of color and yet incredible resting point), the bathing and spa town of Santa Cesarea Terme, Otranto, one of the most beautiful destinations of Salento and Lecce, the capital of the Baroque in the south of Italy await your visit. Apart from the slight ups and downs the bike course is mainly on flat, asphalted side roads, idyllic coastal strips and through wide olive groves with an infinite number of old gnarled trees.

1. day Alberobello Arrival

You can look forward to Alberobello, the small town with its conical buildings (Trulli), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the airport Bari or Brindisi, you can make advantage of our convenient transfer opportunities.

2. day Alberobello - Ostuni 35 km (with Martina Franca 45 km)

Today you cycle beautifully through the valley Valle d'Itria. With its olive groves and trullis, it is one of the most beautiful cultural landscapes in southern Italy. Take a break in the well-known wine town of Locorotondo, which impresses with its circular shape. In any case you should taste the local white wine here. Your destination Ostuni with stunning views of the sea, attracts with an excellently preserved old town and a picturesque tangle of streets and stairways between the typical whitewashed houses.

3. day Ostuni - Avetrana/ Surrounding area 60 km

Today you cycle on small streets from town to town through wide olive groves, best wine growing areas and colorful fruit cultures to Avetrana, a small historical town, on the old Via Appia. This ancient Roman road once led from Rome to Brindisi. Today only a few parts of the ancient paved road are preserved as Via Appia Antica.

4. day Avetrana / Surrounding area - Gallipoli 60 km

Only a few kilometers in the bicycle saddle and you look out on the open sea. Look forward to a wonderful coastal road, to white sandy beaches with crystal clear water and to numerous towers, which offer idyllic and wonderful photo opportunities. Gallipoli, proudly nicknamed the beautiful city, lives up to its name. The old town from the 14th Century perched on a small island, surrounded by a thick fortification wall. Marvel at imposing Baroque churches and aristocratic palaces, all witnesses of the city's past wealth. Stroll through a winding labyrinth of narrow streets, all ending in a wide sea promenade. Enjoy coffee houses, bars and restaurants that line the sidewalks, the beautiful views and a delicious sunset dinner.

5. day Gallipoli - Santa Maria di Leuca/ Surrounding area 50 km

Today you cycle to Santa Maria di Leuca, the most southern point of Salento. The place is especially known for its pilgrimage church. Visit the sanctuary and enjoy the peace and quiet of the place. All around, many splendid villas have sprung up over the centuries, which are an absolute architectural highlight due to their imaginative shapes. The tranquility that surrounds the basilica should not deceive you, because Santa Maria di Leuca is a lively seaside resort, with an ancient harbor and a charming beach promenade.

6. day Santa Maria di Leuca - Otranto 50 km

Enjoy a varied cycling route along the southern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Visit the famous Zinzulusa Cave, the only coastal grotto open to the public. Also, it is worth taking a well-deserved break in the old spa town of Santa Cesarea Terme with its turquoise waters and rock-cut swimming pools. In the afternoon, the small port town of Otranto awaits you, a jewel of art history amidst a charming landscape. The old town, surrounded by a mighty city wall, impresses with the fascinating Habsburg Castle and awaits your visit.

7. day Otranto - Lecce 50 km

Along the coast and through countless olive groves, you will not cycle to Lecce without a worthwhile break in the bay of Torre dell 'Orso, surrounded by high limestone cliffs. Let yourself be inspired by Lecce, one of the most beautiful cities in southern Italy and capital of the Italian Baroque. Already in Roman times Lecce was an important military and harbor place. Still bearing witness from this period are the remains of the half-exposed amphitheater that once held up to 20,000 spectators. Between 1550-1750, the city experienced its heyday when it was expanded to the base of Spanish-dominated southern Italy against the Turks. Here the old town received its characteristic Baroque appearance. Marvel at the numerous buildings made of honey-colored tufa baroque buildings, stroll through the traffic-calmed downtown and enjoy the special atmosphere of a proud city, which is the center of the Salento peninsula due to the university with its many young people.

8. day Lecce Departure

Individual departure or possibility to extention.

Worth knowing about Apulia

Below you will find specific information about the Apulia round trip. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone: 06421 – 886890.

Arrival by plane

You can arrive by plane to Bari or Brindisi. From both airports a transfer by minibus can be booked, minimum number of participants 2 persons. The journey takes about 60 to 70 minutes. A reservation is necessary, as there is only a limited number of seats.

Alitalia

Lufthansa

Parking facilities at the hotel

At the start hotel you will find free parking for the duration of the trip. A reservation is not possible, parking costs are payable locally. You will receive detailed information about the parking facilities at the hotel booked for you with the detailed travel documents two weeks before the start of your journey.

Condition of cycle paths

Apart from a slight up and down in some sections, the route is mainly on flat, asphalted side roads. The bike tour is suitable for children over 14 years

Available rental bikes

You can choose between 21-speed gear shift unisex bikes with freewheel and electric bikes are available on request (Please reserve the bikes as early as possible to guarantee availability). You simply give your bike request when booking. 

Touring information and rental bike

The personal route information with rental bike takes place on the day of arrival  in the hotel. Any changes will be announced upon arrival at the reception.

Special dates

Special dates from 5 persons on request possible.

Return from Lecce to Alberobello or return to the airport

You have the possibility to take the minibus from Lecce to the starting point Alberobello. If you arrived by plane, there are also bookable transfers for you: The journey takes about 50 minutes to Brindisi or 120 minutes to Bari. Please note that all transfers from 2 persons are bookable and must be pre-booked.

Cycling in italy

In Italy, warning vests are mandatory outside closed areas at night and at dusk.

Costs which are not included in the price

A possibly resulting tourist tax is not part of the travel price and therefore it has to be paid locally in the Hotel.

7 day hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as
possible.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

An up-to-date overview of applicable measures and travel and safety advice regarding Covid-19 for all countries in the EU and Switzerland can be found here:
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Alberobello with trulli quarters

The conical buildings (trullis) determine the landscape of the city, which was created on the model of the shepherd huts in this area. Alberobello has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Trulli are buildings of dry masonry and are built without mortar. The scaly, dark, broken-stone roofs give the whitewashed trullo, which originally stood in the fields and not in the village, its characteristic
appearance. Their construction of solid natural stone with very thick walls and tiny windows, the trulli provide good protection against the prolonged summer heat in Apulia, because the interior heats up slowly.

Trulli

Trulli

Ostuni the white city

The city is situated on three hills overlooking the olive groves of the Adriatic coast. The main attraction of Ostuni is the well-preserved old town with its picturesque maze of alleyways and steps between the typical whitewashed houses. The center of the old town is the Piazza della Libertà on the border of old and new town. There, in a former convent, there is the Town Hall and the baroque Oronzo Column. Other attractions include the city's cathedral and the baroque church of Santa Maria Maddalena.

Ostuni - the white city

Grotto Zinzulusa

The cave takes its name from the numerous stalactites and stalagmites that resemble cloth dolls from worn out clothes, which are called "Zinzuli" in the Salento language. Behind the wide, high entrance, you will reach a hundred-meter-long karstic gallery, which gradually narrows until it ends in the
cathedral, the last room accessible to tourists. From here, a downhill path leads to Cocito, the
submerged part of the grotto.

Grotto Zinzulusa

Otranto

Otranto - "the city of the martyrs" offers some very important sights thanks to its glorious history. The highlight of the city is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata, which houses a well-preserved 12th-century floor mosaic. Also buried in the church are the bones of the 800 martyrs of Otranto, who are revered by Catholics as saints.

Otranto

Lecce

Lecce is a city in the southern Italian region of Puglia, known for its Baroque buildings. The Cathedral of Lecce in the central Piazza del Duomo has two facades and a bell tower. The Basilica di Santa Croce is decorated with sculptures and a rose window. Nearby are the Colonna di Sant'Oronzo, a Roman
column with a bronze statue of the city's patron saint, and a partially uncovered Roman amphitheater.

Lecce

Gallipoli

The old town is located on a rocky island and connected to the mainland by a connecting dam.
Worth seeing in the old town is the Antica Farmacia Provenzano, a historic pharmacy, located on the ground floor of Palazzo Pirelli. Near the connecting bridge is the Greek Fountain - Fontana ellenistica and a small church with the patron saint Santa Caterina. The Castello Gallipoli was originally a fortification with catacombs and has the Sala Ennagonale - an empty arsenal. The Cattedrale di Sant'Agata with the Museo Diocesano is located at the highest point of the city. Be inside Oil paintings exhibited from Neapolitan schools.

Gallipoli