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From the Bari International Airport Karol
Wojtyla:
Taxi -
Taxis are available outside the Arrivals Hall.
Bus -
The Amtab Bus
No. 16 offers service to/from city center, and the Tempesta Bus
Co. links with the central railway station. From there
goes bus nr 20 to the cruise terminal of Bari.
The port of Bari with a new cruise terminal is situated NW of the old city and its boundaries are, on the West side, the Saint Cataldo quay and, on the East side, the new Foraneo quay.
The city of Bari has a lovely old town area within (20 minutes) walking distance of the port (although there are shuttles available, as well as taxis).
Printable map to take along.
Cruise calendar for this port.
Watch a destination video.
Ship's Location
in Cruise Port:
Bari is best explored on foot.
Bari is made up of different urban sections. To the north, the closely built old town on the peninsula between two modern harbors, with the splendid Basilica of San Nicola (Saint Nicholas), the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035 - 1171) and the Castello Svevo of Frederick II, is now also one of the major nightlife districts. This historic part of town, in the north of Bari, is home to many ancient buildings of religious and historical interest. The neighborhood has a distinctly medieval feel, as it is filled with churches from the Middle Ages. The Murattiano section to the south, the modern heart of the city, is laid out on a rectangular gird-plan with a promenade on the sea, and the major shopping district (the via Sparano and via Argiro). The Via Capruzzi runs through the financial hub that surrounds the center of Bari; there are many business offices, markets and stores in this modern area.
Situated in Italy's heel – famous for its beaches, hill towns and fabulous food – is an increasingly popular tourist destination. Commercial and administrative capital of Puglia, a university town and southern Italy's second city, Bari has its fair share of interest. Bari's rich cosmopolitan past – embracing Byzantine, Norman, Arabic, Angevin and Pisan culture – is reflected in the city's glorious architecture, especially the remarkable 12th-century basilica dedicated to the city's patron, Saint Nicholas.
Tourist office and more information.
La città vecchia (The old city)
The extraordinary old city largely consists of narrow and
winding streets. Here you will find all the important medieval monuments,
such as the Swabian castle and many churches, including the Cathedral
of San Sabino and the Basilica of San Nicola.
Il Castello svevo (The Norman Swabian Castle)
This building was begun by Roger II (1139), and destroyed
at least twice by the people of Bari, in protest again the tyranny
of the Normans. Frederick II rebuilt it almost completely between
1233 and 1240.
Basilica
di San Nicola
The basilica was constructed between 1087
and 1197, and has always held the remains of San
Nicola (who is also known as Santa Klaus). It is
both a Catholic and an orthodox church, and partly
for this reason is a place of annual pilgrimage for
many people from all over the world. Price: Free
entry.
Cattedrale di San Sabino
This building was originally built in Byzantine style in
1062, and rebuilt in Romanesque form in 1170 after the destruction
it had undergone at the hands of William the Evil in 1156. Price:Free
entry
Bari's oldest festival celebrates its patron Saint Nicholas with
a lurid, noisy parade on 8 May, preceded by the Processione dei Pellegrini,
the procession of pilgrims to the sea. Easter is marked by a week
of parades of mournful brass bands and religious icons. The Fiera
del Levante is a more recent creation, designed to celebrate
Bari's trade links with the(far/near) East. Throughout the summer
a wide range of music and theatre is performed, usually for free,
in the Old Town.
There are two little mini sightseeing trains in Bari, waiting at the port. about 5 to 10 minutes walk from where you are docked: an hour and a half tour through old Bari, dropping you off right at your ship when the tour has concluded. 15 Euro.
Puglia, especially the Terra di Bari, is justly famous for its Romanesque cathedrals and churches: the towns of Altamura, Barletta and Bitonto are recommended, accessible by a slow but picturesque local train from Bari. Altamura, dramatically sited on the edge of the High Murge escarpment, is also famed for its bread. The bakers of the Città del Pane were recently awarded a DOP to safeguard their delectable creations, noted for their thick, crisp crusts and deep yellow dough. Visit the bakery and shop of Fratelli di Gesù (via Eleonora Pimentel 17, Altamura, 080 314 1213) for a tasting.
The sweltering port town of Brindisi is around 60 miles south of Bari, and is traditionally regarded as the gateway to the Greek Ionian islands (ferries to Corfu, Patras and Igoumenitsa are the most frequent). Nowadays, however, it is also the point of entry for tourists holidaying in a trulli, the distinctive, hive-shaped and whitewashed buildings for which southern Puglia is renowned.
The Sassi
Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy.
The Sassi are houses dug into the rock itself, known locally as "Tufo", which is characteristic of Basilicata and Puglia. Many of these "houses" are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often are located on the rooftops of other houses. The ancient town grew in height on one slope of the ravine created by a river that is now a small stream. The ravine is known locally as "la Gravina".
Alberobello is known as the Capital of the Trulli. The trullo is a fascinating architectural feature of this area of Puglia, a building with conical roof made without mortar. Alberobello has special status internationally - designated a UNESCO world heritage site - because its collection of some 1,500 trulli in an urban environment is unique.
A nice palm-lined promenade and broad boulevards with designer shops and top-quality restaurants in the new part of Bari.
Euro
Language Italian.
There are many internet cafes, mostly around the main railway stations. Please make sure you can show your passport.
Emergency number: 112
Most shops and businesses in
Italy open from Monday to Saturday from around 8am until 1pm, and
from about 4pm until 7pm, though many shops close on Saturday afternoons
and Monday mornings, and in the south the day can begin and end
an hour later. In the north some businesses work to a 9am-5pm day
to facilitate international dealings. Traditionally, everything
except bars and restaurants closes on Sunday, though most towns
have a pasticceria open in the mornings, while in large cities
and tourist areas, Sunday opening is becoming more common.
Holidays:
January 1 (New Year's Day)
January 6 (Epiphany)
Pasquetta (Easter Monday)
April 25 (Liberation Day)
May 1 (Labour Day)
August 15 ( Ferragosto ; Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary)
November 1 ( Ognissanti ; All Souls Day)
December 8 ( Immaccolata ; Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary)
December 25 ( Natale ; Christmas)
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