Apulia: Alberobello to Lecce

Alberobello is particularly famous for its Trulli, limestone cone buildings – 2 of the city's neighbourhoods are made up of Trulli only; Rione Monti and Aia Piccola. Alberobello is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Bike ride through the Valle d'Itria area, one of the most beautiful cultural landscapes in the south. Stopover in the famous wine town of Locorotondo (tasting the local white wine yourself). Continue via Cisternino to the final destination of this stage, Ostuni, or "white city" with a beautiful view of the sea.

From Ostuni, the tour goes through olive groves, wine-growing areas and orchards to Avetrana, a small town steeped in history on the ancient Via Appia. This ancient Roman road once ran from Rome via Taranto and Oria to Brindisi. Today only parts of the old cobbled path are preserved as Via Appia Antica.

You leave Avetrana to reach the sea in no time. Via a detour to "Torre Colimena", follow the coastal road with its many defensive towers to Porto Cesareo. We continue along the Ionian coast to Gallipoli. This originally Greek city "Kalepolis" (beautiful city) is the real urban surprise on the Ionian Sea. Like a rocky peninsula, Alt-Gallipoli sits on the tip of a promontory that extends far out to sea - recognizable from a distance from north and south. You are in the middle of the city's maze of alleyways, where several churches and a quaint museum await your visit. Also, see the many real fishermen who still portray an authentic image of the city.

Today we reach the southernmost point of the heel of the boot, the Salento region is also the watershed to the Ionian Sea at Santa Maria di Leuca. The place is best known for its pilgrimage church, a popular place of pilgrimage. At the beginning of the century, many beautiful villas were created, which are an absolute architectural highlights because of their imaginative to absurd shapes. Eccentric lovers of the end of the world settled here to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the sea.

Today it goes along the southernmost point of the coast of the Adriatic Sea to the Messapian town of Otranto. It is considered a jewel of art history in the middle of a charming landscape. The old town is surrounded by a mighty city wall and impresses with the impressive Habsburg castle. On the way to Otranto you have the opportunity to visit the famous Grotta Zinzulusa cave system - the only coastal cave open to the public. Santa Cesarea Terme, known for its hydrotherapeutic treatments and radioactive peat therapies, also deserves a stopover.

You first continue on the Adriatic coast, then through countless olive groves to Lecce. If you want to take a break along the way, it is best to do so at the bay of Torre dell Orso, delimited by high limestone cliffs. Lecce, the capital of Salento, is a city of great charm, which impresses above all for the undisputed beauty of its buildings and churches. Besides Naples, Lecce is the baroque metropolis in the south. About 30 churches and numerous palaces await you here. Don't forget to visit the amphitheatre and the Roman theatre, both probably built under Emperor Augustus.

After breakfast, this fantastic cycling trip through Apulia ends.