Place of interest - VisitCastellanaGrotte

Interesting places

At the heart of a fascinating land

Come and discover the surrounding scenic and cultural beauty. Castellana Grotte is the gateway to the Itria Valley. A land kissed by the sun in every season and surrounded by lush green hills, among dry stone walls, trulli, ancient sheep tracks and picturesque villages.

We are forty kilometres from Bari and exactly halfway between the land of trulli and that of the sea. Alberobello with its trulli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Locorotondo and its characteristic historic centre. Noci, Martina Franca and Cisternino, towns of unparalleled architectural beauty and places to discover and enjoy. We are also just a few kilometres from Putignano, the capital of Carnival, which offers opportunities for discovery in winter and summer. And from Conversano, a noble town with a castle that was the home of the Count, master and lord of all the lands in the surrounding area.

Heading south, you’ ll drive along picturesque roads surrounded by cypress trees and vast panoramas, sometimes as green as its fields, sometimes as blue as the sea meets the clear sky on the horizon. The destination is not far away. Just a few kilometres away is Polignano a Mare, the birthplace of Domenico Modugno, with its historic centre overlooking the sea, its pebbly coves and caves that can only be reached by gozzi, the typical rowing boats of fishermen. Further south, still close by, we come across Monopoli, a town of great charm and warmth: from its historic centre made up of narrow streets around walls and a castle on the sea, to its large white sandy beaches. The journey southwards can continue to Ostuni, the white city par excellence, and on to Salento.

Come to Castellana, savour the beauty and discover an area that will make you fall in love with it.

Bari

40 minutes from Castellana, it is the regional capital. It is the heart of the region and the cultural and monumental birthplace of Apulia. The historic centre of Bari, a maze of alleyways, courtyards, historic buildings and bars, is a city within a city, with around 30 churches and wonderful architecture such as the Basilica of San Nicola, the Roman Basilica of San Gregorio, the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Norman-Swabian Castle built by Frederick II. On Italy’s longest seafront, Bari Vecchia is the ancient heart of the city, cradle of popular culture and the most sought-after niches. In a city of great beauty, still suspended between past and present. History, art and colour.

Polignano a mare

15 minutes from Castellana, the birthplace of Domenico Modugno, once a fishing village and now an international tourist destination. With its characteristic old town overlooking the sea, panoramic balconies and small coves, it is a true pearl of the Mediterranean. The town stands on the tip of a coastline dotted with mysterious and fascinating sea caves that can only be reached on the typical fishermen’s rowing boats. Cultural and entertainment events take place throughout the year, particularly in summer.

Monopoli

20 minutes from Castellana, this is a town of great beauty and vibrancy, from its characteristic old village to its long sandy beaches. The historic centre of Monopoli is a jewel of popular architecture mixed with sumptuous religious buildings and splendid mansions. It is Porta Vecchia, flanked by the city walls, which introduces you to the old part of the town, lying on the Adriatic and dominated by its castle. The heart of the town is the baroque Cathedral of Santa Maria della Madia.

Conversano

10 minutes from Castellana, is a town of lively cultural ferment. Testimony to its long and important history is the Acquaviva’s Castle, and the remains of the megalithic walls that embrace the fascinating historic centre, rich in monuments. Among the alleys of the town, the Pinacoteca with the pictorial cycle of Gerusalemme Liberata by Paolo Finoglio, and the Basilica Cattedrale are worth a visit. The view from Largo di Corte, the highest point of the town, embraces the whole surrounding landscape, from the land rich in cherry cultivations to the sea of the nearby seaside resort, Cozze.

Alberobello

15 minutes from Castellana, the town of the trulli, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a place to discover by immersing yourself in an environment that seems unreal. An entire town of trulli, the typical peasant dwellings with conical stone roofs. More than a thousand trulli winding their way through narrow streets and alleyways, vines, creepers of white and blue flowers, and the scent of wisteria, jasmine and geraniums. An enchanting walk to the Church of the Trullo. Or in the opposite direction to the Trullo Sovrano, the largest and only one with two floors, and the Cathedral of Santi Medici Costa e Damiano.

Locorotondo

35 minutes from Castellana, is a picturesque town nestled in the Itria Valley. It is characterised by its ancient village with whitewashed two- or three-storey houses covered with pitched roofs. A true monument is actually the entire historic centre, which is suggestive both if you walk along the outer circuit overlooking the valley, and if you decide to cross it by walking through its narrow streets to discover every cosy corner, the small slarghi, the elegant portals and the pretty flowered balconies. Locorotondo is also known for one of the most popular DOC white wines of the Apulia region, which bears its name.

Martina Franca

40 minutes from Castellana, it is effectively the capital of the Itria Valley. Situated on the eastern hills of the Murgia at an equal distance from the Ionian and Adriatic seas, Martina Franca is a melting pot of history and art. Its historic centre is enriched by the characteristic white houses that stand vertically and unravel in winding streets. The sumptuous Baroque palaces in the centre and the wonderful Basilica of San Martino are particularly impressive. To discover its simple, rural soul, however, it is necessary to follow the streets of the countryside, where the characteristic trulli and cultivations framed by the dry-stone walls of peasant culture still stand out.

Putignano

3 minutes from Castellana, it is the capital of carnival and papier-mâché. Its town is tinged with the colours and sounds of merriment during the carnival event. The Putignano Carnival has record numbers: it is the longest in Italy (it starts on 26 December and ends on the eve of Lent) and the oldest in Europe with its 627 years of history. The Parades of the paper mâché giants and masked groups take place in winter and the carnival festival in summer, between July and August. Two events of great appeal and guaranteed fun. Its historic centre is also charming, with the Palazzo del Principe Romanazzi Carducci, now a house-museum. Putignano shares with Castellana the karstic nature of its subsoil, which also has a surprise in store here, the “Grotta del trullo”.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF CASTELLANA GROTTE

• ALBEROBELLO: 15 minutes
• CONVERSANO: 15 minutes
• POLIGNANO A MARE: 20 minutes
• MONOPOLI: 20 minutes
• FASANO: 25 minutes
• LOCOROTONDO: 30 minutes
• CISTERNINO: 35 minutes

• BARI: 40 minutes
• MARTINA FRANCA: 40 minutes
• OSTUNI: 50 minutes
• MATERA: 60 minutes
• LECCE: 85 minutes
• ANDRIA: 85 minutes

Art and culture

A journey through time

Landscape

Suggestive under any light