Routelecce

Salento Day Trips

Take day trips from Lecce into the Salento peninsula where the fortified coastal towns of Otranto and Gallipoli, the prehistoric trulli clusters, the farm estates producing wine and olive oil, and the Baroque village of Galatina with its remarkable frescoes create an region of extraordinary richness within one hour of the city.

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1
Otranto
Visit Otranto, the fortress city on the eastern coast where the cathedral contains the largest medieval floor mosaic in the world depicting a Tree of Life with the scenes of history and mythology, the old town behind the Aragonese walls still bearing the memory of the 1480 Ottoman massacre that made the 800 martyrs of Otranto the most famous victims of the Turkish wars.
2
Gallipoli
Visit Gallipoli, the fortified island city on the Ionian coast where the old town occupies a rocky island connected to the mainland by a bridge, the medieval castle, the baroque churches, the fishing harbor, and the fine beaches surrounding the island creating one of the most attractive coastal destinations in southern Italy.
3
Galatina
Visit Galatina, 20 kilometers south of Lecce, where the Basilica di Santa Caterina d Alessandria contains the most complete cycle of 14th century frescoes in southern Italy, the Byzantine-influenced Gothic paintings covering every surface of the nave and representing one of the great artistic treasures of Apulia.
4
Trulli Villages
Visit the trulli villages of the Salento hinterland where the ancient dry-stone conical buildings used as agricultural shelters and field stores represent the prehistoric building tradition that survives in the landscape of the Salento countryside, the trulli less famous than those of Alberobello but more authentically integrated into the working agricultural landscape.
5
Masseria Experience
Visit a Salento masseria, the fortified farm estate that characterizes the agricultural landscape of Apulia, where the olive groves, the wine production, the traditional cooking, and the accommodation in the restored stone buildings create the most complete experience of the Salento rural civilization.
6
Nardo
Visit Nardo, the baroque city 25 kilometers from Lecce where the Piazza Salandra with its extraordinary Baroque column, the cathedral, and the historic center represent a miniature version of the Leccese baroque city, the town largely unknown to international visitors but one of the finest baroque ensembles in Apulia.