The Stunning Trulli of Alberobello, Italy

Adventurous Kate contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

Alberobello Trulli

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.

Alberobello Trulli

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.

Alberobello Trulli

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 Trulli

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.

Alberobello Trulli

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…

Alberobello Trulli

I love the contrast of the white walls and bright flowers.

Alberobello Trulli

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.

Alberobello Trulli

While most of the trulli are whitewashed, you’ll occasionally find some in their natural form.

Alberobello Trulli

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!

Alberobello Trulli

Then again, some of the best views are when you look up from below.

Alberobello Trulli

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.

Alberobello Trulli

I love turning cloudless skies into black and white.

Frozen Espresso

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)!

Alberobello Trulli

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.

Alberobello Trulli

Even in the modern city center, you still have the occasional trullo peeking out.

Alberobello Trulli

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:

Cool Places in Southern Italy:

Cool Places in Sicily:

Cool Places in Northern Italy:

Get email updates from KateNever miss a post. Unsubscribe anytime!

34 thoughts on “The Stunning Trulli of Alberobello, Italy”

  1. 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.

  2. 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!!

  3. 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!

  4. 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!

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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!

  9. 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!

  10. 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.

    1. 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.

  11. 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!

  12. 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!

  13. 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!

  14. 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.

  15. 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!

  16. 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.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to the blog: