Lecce Travelers Recommend

Dubbed the “Florence of the South” for its sumptuous 17th-century architecture, Lecce is the most beguiling city on Puglia’s Salento peninsula. Its historic center is a treasure trove of baroque gems and artisan workshops, as well as a food lover’s paradise. Here’s how to experience this feast for the eyes and palate in one day.

Morning: Barocco Leccese

Lecce’s lavish architectural style, featuring magnificent facades carved from local pietra leccese stone, is so distinctive that it has its own label: Barocco Leccese, or Lecce baroque. Begin your visit of this jewel-like city with a guided tour through the old town (centro storico) to appreciate highlights such as the Basilica di Santa Croce, cathedral (duomo) and its Piazza del Duomo, and Church of Santa Chiara. Most walking, bike, and rickshaw tours also take in the impressive ruins of the city’s Roman amphitheater in Piazza Sant'Oronzo and the traditional shops along the winding lanes of the centro storico.

Afternoon: Stone and Paper

After the morning spent exploring the heights of the Barocco Leccese, turn your attention in the afternoon to the humble yet equally captivating local artisan traditions. Tour Lecce’s storied workshops with a guide as part of a shopping tour to take a deep dive into their history and techniques, or join a hands-on workshop to learn the secrets of stone carving or papier-mâché, two of the most important local handicrafts.

Night: Food and Wine

Salento is known for its excellent cuisine, and no visit to the peninsula is complete without sampling its classic dishes and remarkable wines. Join a food tour in Lecce to nibble unique street foods such as rustico leccese (puff pastry filled with tomatoes and mozzarella), pasticciotto (filled pastry), and taralli (olive-oil crackers) and sip wines produced in the surrounding countryside. True gourmands can pair a walking tour with a full dinner featuring the city’s most beloved dishes, or learn how to make them at home with a cooking class led by a local chef or home cook, followed by a celebratory meal to sample the recipes you’ve prepared together.

The cultural and geographical heart of Puglia’s Salento Peninsula, Lecce is home to the region’s finest architecture and perfectly located to explore other highlights both inland and on the coast with ease. Here’s how to take in the best of the city and surrounding peninsula in just two days.

Day 1: The Capital of Salento

Morning: Start the day by taking in Lecce’s magnificent 17th-century baroque churches and palaces with a walking, bike, or rickshaw tour through the historic center. Marvel at the ornate facades of the cathedral (duomo), Basilica di Santa Croce, and Church of Santa Chiara, as well as the ruins of the Roman amphitheater in Piazza Sant'Oronzo.

Afternoon: Dedicate the afternoon to exploring the captivating artisan workshops that are a cornerstone of Lecce’s culture. Join a shopping tour to meet the city’s craftspeople, or opt for a practical workshop to hone your skills at traditional stone carving or papier-mâché with a master teacher at a storied atelier.

Night: The three pillars of Lecce’s unique spirit are its architecture, artisans, and cuisine. Explore the last with a food tour highlighting the city’s street foods and local wines or a walking tour paired with a traditional dinner. Another foodie option is a cooking class with a local instructor followed by a festive meal.

Day 2: Striking Out in Salento

Morning: Now that you’ve savored Lecce, spend your second day exploring the Salento Peninsula. Head just north to the Itria Valley, home to some of the most captivating small towns in Puglia. Tour the gnome-like trulli cottages in Alberobello and the postcard-perfect hill towns of Polignano a Mare and Cisternino.

Afternoon: Gourmands can deepen their knowledge of local Negroamaro and Primitivo wines, as well as other gastronomic delights, with a wine-and-food tour in the countryside just beyond Lecce’s city limits. Visit small wineries for tastings and lunch featuring specialties from nearby olive-oil mills, farms, and other local producers.

Night: Lecce may be set inland, but Puglia is primarily a coastal region. Enjoy its pretty coastline and crystalline waters with a jaunt to the historic fishing village of Otranto. Take a peek at its cathedral, Church of St. Peter, and Aragonese Castle, and then relax on the beach as the sun goes down.

With three days in Lecce, you’ll be able to savor this baroque jewel at leisure, delve into the highlights of the surrounding Salento Peninsula, and strike out as far as the port city of Bari or the Sassi di Matera UNESCO World Heritage Site in neighboring Basilicata. Here are your best options for three days in and around Puglia.

Day 1: Sumptuous Lecce

Delve into the ornate Barocco Leccese —Lecce’s unique style of baroque architecture marked by facades intricately carved with flora and fauna—on a guided walking, bike, or rickshaw tour through the historic center. Admire blockbusters such as the cathedral, Church of Santa Chiara, and Basilica of Santa Croce, as well as the Roman amphitheater in Piazza Sant'Oronzo. Afterwards, visit the historic workshops where local artisans have been hand-crafting papier-mâché and limestone sculptures for centuries; perhaps join a hands-on handicrafts workshop yourself. Finally, sample traditional cuisine with a food-and-wine tour through the city center or a cooking class with a local chef.

Day 2: Hilltop and Coastal Villages

Leave the city behind and head to the UNESCO-listed round stone trulli cottages in Alberobello—as well as Polignano a Mare and Cisternino—for a day of village hopping. A popular option for wine aficionados is a wine-and-food tour in the Salento countryside surrounding Lecce. Enjoy tastings of Negroamaro and Primitivo in a few of the area’s small wineries; generally wine tours include a stop for lunch featuring local specialties. Alternatively, set your sights on the coast with a day trip to the charming fishing village of Otranto to visit its cathedral, Church of San Pietro, and Aragonese Castle before spending a few hours on the beach.

Day 3: Bari or Matera

On your final day, strike out even farther afield to the bustling port city of Bari, the largest metropolis in Puglia and home to a charming historic center known as Bari Vecchia. Take a walking tour through its narrow lanes lined with churches and pretty squares, and stroll its seaside promenade. Alternatively, visit one of the most striking destinations in southern Italy, the Sassi of Matera. Located on a cliffside in the neighboring region of Basilicata, this rupestrian city is built above a network of ancient caves and grottoes, used as dwellings and churches for centuries. Today Matera’s historic caves house trendy hotels, restaurants, and art galleries; join a guided tour to learn about the city’s history and visit the caves and churches along its steep lanes.