Bari is a vibrant mixture of southern Italian charm, fun, and organised chaos, and it is by no means a sleepy seaside city that families or boring couples would normally shortlist for a weekend of rest and recreation.
Conversely, one of the biggest Mediterranean cruise terminals operates from there, the second-biggest city on Italy’s mainland (after Naples) south of Rome.
The striking similarities with Naples most probably swayed the De Laurentiis family to invest in Bari, reviving the Galletti back from bankruptcy and the lower tiers of Calcio.
And SSC Bari’s lighting show is reminiscent of the town’s personality, electrifying and vivacious.
Indeed, Bari displays all the symptoms of a flourishing city, one dreaming of an economic boom and a cultural reawakening.
Upon leaving Centrale (the train station) in the Murat district, you will find streets lined with commercial building projects and the nearby University of Bari Aldo Moro.
But don’t let the threat of 40,000 aspiring pseudo-intellectuals throw you off booking accommodation there. Murat is ideally located for food and walking off the food, with moderately priced bowls of orecchiette, the most famous food in the area, available from €8.
Murat is the perfect base for mobility in and around the region of Puglia, the capital of which is Bari.
Football fans (and wives/partners) seeking more than just Serie B calcio at the Stadio San Nicola needn’t worry. You’ll get plenty of likes on your Insta posts courtesy of Bari Vecchia’s picturesque courtyards and other tucked-away gems. However, the price of orecchiette increases the closer you get to the sea.
Known as the Old Town (Vecchia translates to Old), Bari Vecchia was once a district to circumnavigate, filled with undesirables and miserabili, as my Nonna Maria would call them. But much like Murat and the seaside districts, Bari Vecchia has been given a facelift in recent years and is safe to stroll through and glorious to look at. According to calcio folklore, it was in these narrow streets where Antonio Cassano learned to play.
The San Nicola Basilica is dedicated to Saint Nicholas (the ancient day Santa Claus) and was opened in 1197. Watch the video below for more information on the subject from one of the nation’s leading amateurs.
Flights from London to Bari are affordable and regular. The airport is close (a 20-minute drive) to the city centre and easily accessible to the seaside towns to the north, Trani, Bisceglie, and Molfetta.
To avoid confusion when booking flights, type in airport code BRI as Bari’s airport goes under two different names: commonly known as Palese to locals but also named Karol Józef Wojtyla International Airport after Pope John Paul II.
When driving in Bari, be aware that random things can happen at any given time. We tailed a hatchback where the driver and passenger each held an upside-down table on the roof, with no ropes, just riding their luck. Yes, driving with the right hand, stopping the table from sliding off the vehicle with the left, and most probably a smouldering cigarette in the ashtray. Free entertainment is always a bonus.
Street parking costs just €1.50 per hour. We recommend car insurance that covers wantaway furniture.
If you’re staying outside of Bari and just want somewhere to park inside the city and walk around, Murat is very convenient. The 15-minute stroll towards the seaside takes you through streets filled with restaurants and retail. Bring versatile footwear for pavements, tarmac, and cobbled streets.
We chose R45 for a three-course meal (€30) that included a glass of bubbly. The latter got us in the mood for a discovery walk that took us from Castello Svevo to Piazza Mercantile and then to the Madonella district, where the Baresi hipsters congregate.
Lega Serie B is again scheduling Friday night matches, and SSC Bari hosted U.S. Catanzaro. We arrived at the Stadio San Nicola early to catch up with long-time Bari supporters Jeremy Bowling and Nigel Pratt, discussing the David Platt era and the present.
You can watch that here and read about how the Ultras are protesting ADL’s ownership here. The contest could have gone either way, with two goals between the two sides and the points shared.
Dan, Emmet and I made some friends in the media room (see our chat with Pierpaolo Paterno) and in the car park where we posed for a picture with Catanzaro coach Fabio Caserta.
Pierpaolo even wrote about Destination Calcio’s fascination with Italian football in La Gazzetta del Mezziogiorno, one of southern Italy’s most acclaimed publications.
But our new-found fame hadn’t quite caught on yet, meaning no hoards of women swarming us through the streets of Molfetta, another lovely Adriatic town located just north of the airport.
Of the 57,458 inhabitants, we were there to meet one in particular, Tommy Gianfreda, who took us to Genny’s trattoria for a lunchtime feast.
A baking dish full of parmigiana preceded plates stacked with crispy prawns, octopus and delicately grilled Baccalà (cod). For the third meal in a row, Emmet stuffed himself with a local pasta recipe, casarecce with ragù. The tiramisu finished us off. I’m full just writing about it, yet suddenly hungry again.
Molfetta is one of those seaside villages that not many think of when visiting the Adriatic, but Polignano a Mare is fancier. Famous for its views, stunning natural coves (Lama Monachile), and restaurants inside cliff faces, Polignano is staggeringly beautiful and well worth the trip. You’ll find yourself winding through narrow lanes that transport you high above the Mediterranean.
The Super Mago del Gelo bar in Polignano a Mare is located in Piazza Garibaldi and pumps out coffees (€1.10) and gelati all day, every day. Founded by Mario Campanella, the venue is plastered with images of visiting celebrities including Pippo Baudo, Gianni Morandi and Michele Placido.
If you’re still reading, you’re probably weighing up a Puglia calcio weekender. I recommend a four-day visit. Bari is a two-hour drive (or train) away from Lecce, the southernmost Serie A club in 2024-25. Combine the pair if possible (check the calendars); otherwise, factor in a drive to Foggia, Taranto, Monopoli or Matera (famous for Bond) for Serie C.
Click here to read about our Lecce Calcio Weekender.
You can also read about our previous trips to Milan and Bergamo, Bologna, Como and Monza, Genova, Campania and the Northern regions, as well as our excursions to Padova and Udine.
There is no better way to spend your weekends as long as the destination is calcio.
