Old Town of Bari by Train

If Lecce is the south's Florence, Bari is its Bologna, a historic but youthful town with students lending it a cooler and hipper edge. More urban than its neighbors Lecce and Brindisi, with grander boulevards and a more active nightlife, Bari supports a large university, a recently renovated opera house and municipal buildings that sparkle with a hint of northern grandiosity.

Take a journey on the "tourist train" leaving directly from the port area with your tour guide who will point out all of the important sites.

Ride to the Arch of St Nicholas Basilica and stop for a visit plus see the beautiful Historical Museum, rich in ancient monuments. The eleventh-century Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola is dedicated to St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, and was specially built to house his remains, which still lie in the crypt. This is an important religious destination, and not just for Catholics, there is a chapel in the crypt dedicated to Orthodox pilgrims. The saint's body is supposed to exude a kind of holy oil and you can actually buy bottles of this remarkable liquid in the church shop next door. In the main part of the church are several notable sights, including an elaborate stone canopy over the altar and a marble bishop's throne, known as the Cattedra di Elia, dating to the eleventh or twelfth century, which features straining, grimacing little men supporting the seat. Make sure you tour the exterior of the church to see the carved stone doorways.

Continue on foot through the quaint streets of the ancient town to the Square of San Sabino and the Hohenstaufen Castle built for Frederick II, located on a hill this is now a UNESCO site. To the south is the Murat quarter, the modern heart of the city, which is laid out on a rectangular grid-plan with a promenade on the sea and the major shopping district. Grand 1930s buildings like the rationalist Palazzo della Provincia line the promenade along the waterfront.

You will make a second stop for a tasting of the delicious local products of Bari. Along with the local extra virgin olive oil you will have the opportunity to sample wine from the Puglia region.

Back on board the train you will visit the center of Bari and see the famous Teatro Petruzzelli, destroyed by fire and then rebuilt. The Teatro Petruzzelli is the largest theatre of the city of Bari and the fourth Italian theatre by size. The proposal for building the Petruzzelli was accepted in 1896 and two years later, in October 1898, work began and was finished in 1903.

Take a scenic walk on the beautiful Promenade and have time for shopping before you make your return to the pier area.