Discovering southern Italy and the Adriatic Sea? Here’s our guide to the best places to stay in Bari!
Situated above the heel of the Italian boot, Bari is the capital of Puglia, and a nerve center for cultural and commercial exchanges between Eastern Europe and the West since antiquity. With a population of 325,000 and over 700,000 in the urban area, Bari is Italy’s ninth-largest city and the third-largest in southern Italy. Finding accommodation in Bari can be expensive, as tourist numbers are high from May to October.
Bari occupies a strategic position for visiting the province of Puglia, with its rich historical, cultural, gastronomic and architectural heritage. Between the old town – Bari Vecchia – and the modern part – the Murat district – there are many contrasting atmospheres. Here’s where to stay in Bari.
Bari Vecchia
Photo credit: Flickr – podoboq
Bari Vecchia comprises the historic center – centro storico in Italian – and is Bari’s oldest district. It is characterized by a tangle of winding, narrow streets, deliberately built to prevent enemy soldiers from entering the city walls. Numerous palaces and churches are enclosed here, including the Basilica of St. Nicholas, the Cathedral of St. Sabin and the Norman-Swabian Castle. The port of Bari is considered the gateway to Eastern Europe, and is the largest passenger port on the Adriatic Sea.
From the Fort of St. Anthony to the Archaeological Museum of Santa Scholastica (to explore the history of Pugliese civilization from the 7th to the 3rd century BC), stretch the eastern coastline of the district, a seafront stroll along the Lungomare Imperatore Augusto to the Pasquale Sorrenti community garden. To the west of the district, visit the Norman castle and the Jardin Isabelle d’Aragon. A number of bars, restaurants and hotels line the cobblestone streets of the old town, a central area for accommodation in Bari, ideal if you want to discover the Bari of yesteryear, away from the main modern thoroughfares.
Murat district
Photo credit: Flickr – Paolo Margari
Otherwise known as the 19th-century quarter, the Murat district refers to the Frenchman Joachim Murat (1767-1815), Marshal of the Empire and King of Naples from 1808 to 1815. The area is named after Murat, who inaugurated it and designed the building project, south of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the old medieval town. Orthogonal in shape, the district represents modern Bari, located between the railroad line and the coast, to the south of the old town. This is where you’ll find the vast majority of the city’s shopping malls, hotels, bars and restaurants.
It’s a lively district, where you can meet at leisure in Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, in the gardens, or go out to theaters (Teatro Margherita or Teatro Petruzzelli), bars or the casino. The Murat district is an ideal place to stay in Bari if you like modern cities and their atmosphere. Outside these two districts, there’s little to interest you, except for the beaches of Spiaggia Torre Quetta and Pane e Pomodoro.
Main photo credit: Flickr – Juan Mercader