Puglia

Apulie is one the 20 Italian regions and is located in the southeast of Italy. There are about 3 850 000 people living there and the total area of the region is 19 300 km2. The surface is flat except the Gargano peninsula which is rather mountainous. The agriculture of this region focuses mainly on grain, tobacco, cotton, wine, olives and fruit. The industry is concentrated in the towns Bari, Brindisi a Tarento. The eastern coastline is washed by the Jadran Sea and the southeastern one by Ionic Sea. The capital city is with 335 000 citizens. There is also a university. On the northern part of the Apuli region there is one of the most beautiful parts of the Jordan coastline - the Gargano peninsula known for the beauty of its subtropical flora and the nice smell of olive, lemon and orange trees. It is a protected area. In the inland area there is a national park of about 11 000 ha called Foresta Umbra, which is considered as the lungs of the Apuli region. The coastline of this region is known for its limestone cliffs. The beaces are mostly sandy. The grottos near Gargano are also certainly wirth visiting. The Tremiti Islands with a unique fauna and flora located in the north of the coastline are also popular places of boat trips. The small wooden fishing houses of specific constuction Trabucci are typical for Gargano. They used to serve for fishing but now they fall under UNESCO protected heritage sites and they usually serve as restaurants offering tasty meals made out of fish and sea food. Despite the growing popularity of Gargano, it is still possible to discover the typical 'southern' style of living and to enjoy the little old towns high in the mountains, which look the same over the centuries. The locals are rightly proud of the history of the towns likeMonte San Angelo with the pilgrimage site San Michele Archangelo or of San Giovanni Rotondo with a Capuchin church, which was built by the saint Padre Pio. The most popular towns among the tourists are certainly Vieste and Peschici. Apuli is one of the most beautiful regions of the whole Italy thanks to its cultural and historical heritage. Central Apuli is known for the houses called trulli, traditionally white constructions with conical roofs, which are located mainly around Alberobello. We also reccommend to visit the antic obelisk in Brindisi and the cathedral S. Nicoló e Cataldo in Lecca. The gothic castle is at Castel del Monte. In Bari and Luceřra there are citadels and the significant muzeums are in Tarento, Bari and Lecca. The beaches are great not only during the day, but also for the night amusement.