Italy
Bari
Bari: Saint Nicholas, Handmade Orecchiette and an Old Town on a Peninsula
Bari is the capital of Apulia and, after Naples, the second-largest city in southern Italy, a busy commercial port with ferries to Greece, Albania, Croatia and Montenegro. Most churches in the old town open only on certain feast days, so plan your visit around the basilica and the cathedral.
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Arriving in Bari
Cruise ships in Bari use the cruise terminal in the port, built around the turn of the 21st century, and the largest ships unload at a second area in the Darsena di Ponente. A free shuttle runs inside the port, and taxis wait at the cruise terminal.
- The old town, Bari Vecchia, is a closely built peninsula between two harbors, with the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the cathedral and the castle.
- To the south of the old town lies the Murat quarter, the modern center, laid out on a grid with a seafront promenade and the main shopping streets.
- AMTAB city bus 50 runs in a loop between Bari Centrale station on Piazza Aldo Moro and the port, stopping at the cruise terminal.
- The narrow, crowded streets of Bari Vecchia are a favorite spot for pickpockets, so keep your belongings close.
Bari on Your Own
The old town is the place to spend a port day on foot: its basilica, cathedral and castle all stand within the same tight knot of streets. For a longer walk, follow the waterfront along the top of the old city walls.
- Basilica of Saint Nicholas: The church, built between 1087 and 1197 to hold the saint's relics, has a gold ceiling and a crypt, and the throne of its first archbishop, Elias, still stands inside.
- The cathedral: The Cathedral of San Sabino, built mostly in the last 30 years of the 12th century, outranks the basilica as the seat of the archbishop.
- The castle: The Norman-Swabian Castle, surrounded by a moat on three sides, is now used for exhibitions.
- The walls: The walk along the top of the old city walls passes the Fortino of Saint Antony, an old fort turned into an art gallery.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
Getting Around Bari and to Alberobello or Matera
The old town and the Murat quarter sit side by side, and AMTAB city buses cover the rest of Bari. Trains from Bari Centrale reach the towns of the region, including Alberobello and Matera.
- If you buy a bus or train ticket from a kiosk or machine, you must validate it before you travel, and inspectors issue on-the-spot fines for unvalidated tickets.
- Trains to Alberobello and other nearby towns are run by Ferrovie del Sud Est and leave from Bari Centrale.
- The Matera trains belong to a different company, Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, and leave from its own station beside Bari Centrale, to your left as you step onto the square.
- Polignano a Mare, Monopoli and Mola di Bari to the south, and Trani, Molfetta and Giovinazzo to the north, are closer to Bari and have many direct trains a day.
Orecchiette and the Pugliese Table
Cooking in Bari is built on the region's wheat, olive oil and wine, along with plenty of local fruit and vegetables. Local flour goes into homemade bread and pasta, above all orecchiette, the ear-shaped pasta often served with cime di rapa.
- Street food: Look for fried panzerotti filled with mozzarella, focaccia alla barese topped with tomatoes, small savory taralli, and sgagliozze, fried slices of polenta.
- Calzoni: These baked pockets of dough are stuffed with onions, anchovies, capers and olives.
- Patate, riso e cozze: This dish of potatoes, rice and mussels is another typical local dish.
- Pasta al forno: Baked pasta, traditionally a Sunday dish, is made with tubular pasta, tomato sauce, small beef and pork meatballs and hard-boiled eggs, topped with cheese and baked until crisp.
Tipping in Italy
Tipping is not customary in Italy, and most restaurants outside Rome charge for the coperto, a cover charge, so waiters do not expect a tip, though they will not refuse one. Italy uses the euro.
- In a restaurant, a large tip is never expected; in 2026, leaving a euro or two was enough.
- Leaving the change for a taxi driver is quite common.
- Hotel porters may expect a little something.
The Basilica, the Cathedral and the Castle
Saint Nicholas is Bari's patron saint, and the basilica that holds his relics is a pilgrimage church for both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The city celebrates him twice a year, in May and in December.
- The basilica's design: With its two low, massive towers, the church looks more like a castle and was used as one several times. It was the first church of its design in the region and became a model for many others.
- Inside the basilica: The bishop's throne made for Elias in the late 11th century is one of the most important Romanesque sculptures in southern Italy, and the crypt and presbytery have mosaic floors.
- Festivals: The main celebration of Saint Nicholas, on May 6 to 8, brings historical reenactments, music and a two-day fireworks contest. On December 6, his feast day, masses start in the early hours of the morning.
- Many other churches: Most churches in Bari Vecchia are closed to visitors except on certain feast days, such as Good Friday and All Saints' Day.
Byzantine Port, Norman Basilica, and the Relics of Saint Nicholas
Bari has been a port since antiquity and was the seat of Byzantine rule in southern Italy before the Normans took it in 1071. The arrival of Saint Nicholas's relics in 1087 made it a pilgrimage city.
- 181 BC: The harbor of Barium is first mentioned, and under Rome the town stood where the coast road met the Via Traiana.
- 847 to 871: Bari was the center of an emirate until Frankish Emperor Louis II, helped by a Byzantine fleet, took the city in 871.
- 885: Bari became the residence of the Byzantine catapan, the governor of the empire's lands in southern Italy.
- 1071: Robert Guiscard captured Bari after a three-year siege, ending Byzantine power in the region.
- 1087 and 1089: The relics of Saint Nicholas were carried from Myra, in what is now Turkey, and landed at Bari on May 9, 1087, and Pope Urban II consecrated the crypt of the new basilica in 1089.
- 1156: William I of Sicily destroyed much of the city, including its walls and its Byzantine cathedral.
- 1233: Frederick II rebuilt and strengthened the castle that William I had destroyed.
- 1556 and 1557: Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland, settled in Bari, which she had inherited, fortified the castle and built churches before her death in 1557.
- 1813: Joachim Murat, King of Naples, began the grid-plan new town that still carries his name.
- To learn more ashore: The museum in the church of Sant'Anna, at Strada Palazzo di Città 63 in the old town, tells the story of the medieval Jewish community of Apulia in a building raised as a synagogue in 1246 and 1247.
Bari with Kids
Bari's old town is compact, and its castle, walls and seafront fit into a half day with children. Pickpockets work the narrow, busy lanes, so keep bags closed.
- Younger children: Walk along the top of the old city walls by the sea, past the Fortino of Saint Antony.
- School age: The Norman-Swabian Castle has a moat around three sides, and the story that Frederick II met Saint Francis of Assisi there in 1221 is a good one to tell inside.
- Teenagers: Go down into the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, built for the saint's relics, then try panzerotti or sgagliozze from a street stall in the old town.
Accessibility in Bari
A taxi rank at the cruise terminal means you can reach the town without walking through the port. Inside Bari Vecchia, the streets are narrow and crowded.
- AMTAB bus 50 runs between the cruise terminal and Bari Centrale station.
- Ask your ship which area of the port it will use, because the largest ships unload at a separate area in the Darsena di Ponente.
Shopping in Bari
Bari's main shopping district is in the Murat quarter, along Via Sparano and Via Argiro. Pottery, bags, shoes and local red wines are the things to look for.
- Via Sparano: This street holds the big international fashion names.
- Via Argiro: This is the other main shopping street of the Murat quarter.
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