10 things not to miss when in Bari

1. A stroll on the Lungomare (seashore) from the beach "Pane e Pomodoro" to Saint Nicholas .
2. A visit to Saint Nicholas church is a breathtaking experience.
3. A walk in the Old City from Saint Nicholas church to the Cathedral and the castle will last no more than five minutes but is a wonderful experience. The danger of scippatori(purse-snatchers who operate on motor scooters ) will undoubtedly add to the experience (:-)!
4. The Castle:this is often the place of exhibitions and ,apart from Castel Del Monte, is one of the best apulian castles built from emperor Federico II.
5. A stroll in Via Sparano the commercial heart of a commercial town: Bari is full of shops where you can buy almost everything.
6. The Ateneo building has nothing important in itself but marks the center of the town. The new City (sometime called Borgo Murattiano because it was started by Gioacchino Murat a Napoleone's general) has a regular network of streets. From the small garden in front of the Ateneo you can see Via Sparano ending in the Old City and the Cathedral on one side, and the Railway Station on the other. Perpendicular to this ,you see a street ending directly on the Lungomare and the Province Palace with its belltower. On the other side, via Crisanzio goes straight to the "Chiesa del Redentore" and the rione Liberta'.
7. A fountain like the one in front to Ateneo. The importance of these fountains for apulian people are not architectural but as an expression of abundance and prosperity:until the beginning of the 1900 in Apulia water was scarce and a lot of work was required just to get some water from the few wells available, then the "Acquedotto Pugliese" bringing water from nearby regions, ended this state. The fountain in front of Ateneo marked this new era in Bari since here the Acquedotto was officially started.
8. A piece of "focaccia" from any bakery. You can't understand why we are fond of "pane e pomodoro" until you taste this wonderful pizzalike bread with only oil,olives and tomatoes.
9. A meal with traditional barese dishes in the tavola calda "El Pedro". "Fave e cicoria", "Patate Riso e Cozze" ,"Orecchiette e Rape", etc
10. A diner based on fish and sea specialities:I will opt for the reastaurant "Da Nicola" in Torre a Mare a small village around 10KM south of Bari because of its position right on the port, but this is a question of personal tastes.