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If you’re new to this site, here’s something you’ll soon learn about me: I regularly take on way more than I should, bite off way more than I can chew, and end up stressing myself out for the sake of seeing as much as possible while traveling.
The latest example? My one-day road trip through Puglia, Italy.
After a few days at the Carpino Folk Festival, I had a free day with a rental car until I had to be at Bari Airport at about 6:15 PM.
I knew that I wanted to see both of Puglia’s World Heritage Sites — Castel del Monte and the Trulli of Alberobello — and they didn’t look like they were too far from each other.
I Google Mapped it out. Carpino to Castel del Monte, two hours. Castel del Monte to Alberobello, 90 minutes. Alberobello to Bari Airport, one hour. In short, it could be done, but it would be a tight squeeze, and I wouldn’t have time to explore in depth.
Well, I did it. And I was so harried that day that I chose not to eat. I chose not to eat. In ITALY.
But it was so, so worth it. Castel del Monte was nice, but Alberobello was fantastic. It quickly became my favorite spot in Puglia.
I got there in the afternoon with a little over an hour to explore the trulli — not remotely enough time, at a bad time of day for light, and the trulli were absolutely crawling with tourists. Photography conditions couldn’t have been worse.
But even with those challenges, I tried to capture a bit of magic in this town. I hope you enjoy my photos.
The trulli (singular version: trullo) are dry mortarless stone huts built with conical tops. You see them throughout the Itria Valley in Puglia, but the greatest concentration is in Alberobello. Here’s the view from a lookout on the edge of the city center.
Alberobello’s trulli became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. They were recognized for their mortarless construction, a building method that dates back to prehistoric times and is still in use today.
Could you imagine if you lived in a house like this?
Plenty of trulli have been converted into guesthouses, so you could try it for a night or two…
I love the contrast of the white walls and bright flowers.
While the trulli are all over Alberobello, there is a hilly section of town absolutely filled with trulli. This region is extremely popular with tourists, and the buildings are filled with gift shops, guesthouses, and cafes.
While most of the trulli are whitewashed, you’ll occasionally find some in their natural form.
Throughout the town, you’ll see signs for “Vista Panoramica” — panoramic view. So many of these buildings have rooftop decks that you can visit for free!
Then again, some of the best views are when you look up from below.
If you haven’t bought souvenirs in Puglia yet, Alberobello will have plenty for you to choose from. I wish I had bought some orechiette pasta to take home.
I love turning cloudless skies into black and white.
I stopped in a cafe for a frozen machiatto — it was like a coffee ice cream frappe, served from a slurpee machine. PERFECT on such a hot day, and just 1.80 euros ($2.40 USD)!
To my surprise, my favorite part of Alberobello was actually the city itself! Away from the hordes of tourists, Alberobello is a gorgeous white city with wrought-iron balconies, brightly painted doors and shutters, and a touch of ancient Roman architecture.
Even in the modern city center, you still have the occasional trullo peeking out.
I would love to come back here for a few days to give Alberobello the time and attention it deserves. If you’re in the area, I absolutely recommend stopping by. Just make sure you have at least a few hours!
Planning a Trip to Italy:
- What NOT to Do in Italy
- Solo Female Travel in Italy: Is it Safe?
- Ultimate Guide to Driving in Italy
- How to Stay at an Agriturismo in Italy
- 40 Italy Landmarks to Experience Once In Your Lifetime
- 30 Stunning Mediterranean Islands To Visit In Your Lifetime
- 30 Italian Cities To Visit Once In Your Lifetime
Cool Places in Southern Italy:
Cool Places in Sicily:- 22 Best Places to Visit in Sicily
- The Joys and Challenges of Traveling in Sicily
- Where to Go in Eastern Sicily
- 23 Fun Things to Do in Palermo, Sicily
- Complete Guide to the Aeolian Islands, Sicily
- Aci Trezza: A Laid-Back Coastal Town in Sicily
- Visiting Sicily in the Winter: Worth it or not?
- 30 Iconic Dishes To Try In Sicily
Cool Places in Northern Italy:
- Three Weeks in Northern Italy: An Itinerary
- Parma, Italy: A Colorful, Artsy, Delicious Town
- Where to Stay in Rome: Best Neighborhoods and Accommodation
- Three Days in the Dolomites: A South Tyrol Getaway
- Best Day Trips from Florence, Italy
- The Immaculate, Bursting Mosaics of Ravenna, Italy
- 25 Best Food Experiences in Emilia-Romagna, Italy
GORGEOUS. GORGEOUS. GORGEOUS. I gasped at each and every photo! Alberobello is my hot favorite. I am fan of Puglia ever since I saw it in a movie song. It is SO romantic.
I’ve never heard of trulli until this post, but I’m glad I did because the buildings look so pretty and interesting. I’ve been to Italy, but I only saw 2 of the tourist cities – Rome and Milan. Hopefully I’ll go back to Italy soon and explore it more in-depth – definitely have to see this at least once in my lifetime!!
Shame on me – I’d never even heard of these trulli before! What a cool feature to what looks like a beautiful town. I can definitely understand now why this was your favorite stop!
Wow this is absolutely stunning. I spent 6 months in Italy a few years ago, saw a lot of the country, but I didn’t see this. If I had known that it existed I definitely would have checked it out. Thanks for the share Kate!
Puglia is a fantastic region to explore (ideally for longer than a day!). I spent two weeks there last year at this time and can’t wait to return. Alberobello and the Itria Valley are so picturesque and there are a ton of towns and villages to explore in the region–Ostuni, Cisternino, Locorotondo, Ciglie Messipica and Polignano a Mare were all highlights. Further south is Lecce, a magnificent city with gorgeous baroque architecture. The food in Puglia might be the best in Italy (and I’ve been all over) and is extremely reasonably priced by American standards. Seafood dishes in particular were incredible.
I want to do a trip to the Salento region of Puglia next time!
Wow – how stunning!
Oh wow! How pretty. Everything so white and stark against that blue blue sky. Very keen to get to that area.
The photos are absolutely stunning.
Added to my places-to-visit list! Thanks!
superb pics and wonderful locations…wud love to visit these places soon.
It’s always nice to see Franca’s hometown featured on other travel blogs, especially as Puglia is one of my favourite regions of Italia.
I’ve been lucky enough to have spent around 6 months living there over the past few years, so it feels nice to see your pictures and know exactly which street your standing on.
Even though it was so busy, it seems like such an unknown place! For US tourists, at least…
Those trullos look so cute! I love the idea of visiting the rooftop of one… I LOVE rooftop terraces and I bet the view over all the little buildings is great!!
I too loved Alberobello when I paid a brief visit a few years ago. You’ve done a much better job than I did in capturing its charm though. I do hope we both get to go back one day.
Stunning!
Seeing the Trulli have been on my list forever. You took great photos, and love your voice. So happy to have found this blog recommended by a friend. If/when I return to Southern Italy, this must be on the list!
Thank you very much, Elise!
What a beautiful town!
what an incredible, unique place! The rooftops are amazing. So much in this world thanks so much for sharing!
Ahhh I LOVE this part of Italy. I was in the south in June exploring Basilicata and, wow, I completely fell in love with it. Too bad you didn’t have a huge amount of time there but, hey, it’s not far from the UK so you’re coming back here you can always pop back! I know I’m definitely going to head back to Matera and Pisticci next year, they were too beautiful to NOT revisit!
Matera is one of my big priorities for the future!
It is such a shame that you did not stop in such a lovely place longer, that is what is wrong with tourism today everyone trying to see too much in too little time, wrong, wrong totally wrong. You are encouraging the wrong type of tourism which brings no advantage to those who partake or those who work in this sector like me. Now tell me you are going to do Tuscany in 2 days and that way I can laugh at you, by encouraging people to do it this way you are missing the whole point of tourism.
Hi, Adela — Thanks for your comment, but I disagree. Throughout this post, I wrote about how I packed too much in and how it was a mistake and what I should have done was spend more time here. I’m a bit surprised that you missed that.
At the same time, you could make the argument that visiting more places in a shorter amount of time spread the money to several different regions within Puglia, rather than just sticking to one town. Both have different benefits.
Ha, who would expect such places are in Europe!
Never heard of Trulli before, but after reading your blog, it is definitely going to be included in my next trip to Italy. Love the photos, and I will definitely stay more than 1 day!
Love those roofs! Will definitely have to add this to my list of cool places in Italy.
I’ve always wanted to see Alberobello & the trulli, and your photos are so great, I’m a bit jealous!
Thanks for the inspiration! And for the tips too!
Lovely article and beautiful photos! I so want to visit Italy. And I totally know what you mean about wanting to see as much as possible in the time you have to travel. Sometimes it is the better plan–sample a little of everything and next time you know where to spend weeks and which spots to avoid.
I am an advocate of slow travel, but I am also constantly asking myself, “What if I never get to come back to this place again?” Argh! Decisions!
Your photos of this place are great. I have to visit here sometime. It looks like a photographer’s paradise.
Is that a fermata on the roof of that one hut? (Black and white photo just above the frozen macchiato, which looks like HEAVEN.)
I would so like to go back to Italy and really explore. I only had a chance to see Rome and Florence when I was there for a few days a couple years ago.
It looks like a fermata! 🙂
Puglia is for sure one of the most beautiful places in Italy. I live in Florence and even though I’ve been traveling quite a bit around the country, I still have to find a more amazing place to spend a day. You chose well!
Alberobello looks like an amazing place for vacationing. I love this location and really want to visit it someday. Many Bollywood songs have been picturized at this place. After reading this post, I learned a lot of stuff about this beautiful place. Thank you Kate for sharing your Alberobello experience with us.