LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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Alberobello can be found in Southern Italy, Puglia to be precise. Apart from the town’s name being a treat for the tongue “Alb-er-o-bello” (doesn’t it feel delightful to say?), the town is well known for the Trulli. You can be forgiven if you have never heard of Trulli as they are indigenous to Alberobello and neighboring towns in this region. So, what do you need to know to visit Alberobello?

What is significant about Alberobello?

The Trullo (singular of Trulli) properties are iconic structures, they are petite and cone shaped by design and most likely date back to the early 14th Century. The gathering of Trullo (Trulli) of Alberobello has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. UNESCO describes the Trulli as “remarkable examples of corbelled dry-stone construction, a prehistoric building technique”.

My research indicates that there may have been a number of reasons for such a technique being deployed, but the most common legend sited seems to be that properties were built with dry stone to enable them to be demolished quickly if settlements needed to be relocated. Perhaps the Trulli inhabitants were the original nomads!

The Trulli in Alberobello are painted regularly, which I assume helps to prevent the buildings becoming damaged and creates a wonderfully white washed panoramic. Many of the cone roofs are adorned with religious symbols, according to UNESCO this was traditionally thought to ward away evil spirits.

What to do in Alberobello

Alberobello is really all about wandering and visiting the Trulli. The main activities in Alberobello are:

• Enjoy the views from a terrace – see below about finding the best viewpoints in Alberobello
• Take a walking tour of Alberobello where you will learn more about the history of the buildings and town. Or, if you want something a little different you can take a walking and food tour in Alberobello
• Enjoy some local food at a Puglian home in Alberobello
• Visit the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, this unique church can be found in the Rione Monti district
• Visit the Trullo Sovrano a two story trullo which is now open as a museum – this costs less than 2 Euros to get in

Best viewpoints in Alberobello

For the best views of the Trulli, and to get off the busy streets in the Summer, I’d recommend taking in a Peroni or two at one of the roof terraced bars that can be found in the winding alleyways of the Trulli di Alberobello Puglia area.

But keep your eyes peeled, some of these are hidden in the tiny doorways of the Trulli which makes the rooftops feel like a special secret. If you’re visiting Alberobello, make sure you sure you look up to find these secret rooftop treats!

Is Alberobello worth visiting?

We were really excited to visit Alberobello, having heard very good things from friends who had visited many years ago.

If we are completely honest, we were not that taken with Alberobello. It was extremely busy, albeit we did arrive to Alberobello on a public holiday in Italy.

Our feeling is that Alberobello may have become too much of a tourist destination and Instagram hot spot, to really feel like an authentic experience. We enjoyed our visit, it was worthwhile and we don’t regret visiting. But, we were finished exploring and quite ready to go after a couple of hours.

It is worthwhile if you are very interested in the history of Italy and Alberobello is truly unique. It is a very pretty town of course, but the hoards of tourists do make it challenging to really enjoy the experience.

If you do plan to visit in the summer, it’s best to head early in the morning, or stay over a night and enjoy the nighttime in Alberobello which is a little more pleasant in the evening.

Where to stay in Alberobello

There are a few great options if you want to stay in Alberobello overnight to live out your full elvish fantasies.

BUDGET: La Casetta di Lucia – a cosy apartment in the middle of Alberobello

MID-RANGE: Trulli: La pace dei Sensi – a stunning holiday home in an actual Trulli in Alberobello

LUXURY: Trulli Harmonia con piscina – an immaculate hotel in central Alberobello, complete with a swimming pool

How to get to Alberobello

There are a few different ways to get to Alberobello, from Bari and beyond.

i) From Bari Airport, there’s a regular train service direct into Alberobello

ii) From Bari City, take the bus from behind Bari Central station. It takes around an hour, runs regularly and costs 8,80 (Euro) (August 2022)

iii) From Brindisi Airport, there’s a regular train service direct into Alberobello

iv) You can drive, there’s a large carpark just near the bus station, but be cautious in summer season as it gets busy.

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Most of our planning is done using other blogs, but you can’t beat a guide book at the bottom of your case.

Find them here on Amazon.

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