Why I think Trani is perfect
It’s a little seafront town on the Pulglian coast in Southern Italy. In my eyes it’s a perfect place – situated right on the sea (a fishing port actually), with a charming historic centre and lots of laneways to explore. It’s small, so you can walk everywhere, and if you’re so inclined there’s lots of beautiful boutiques to window shop. Add a great hotel, lots of good places to eat and friendly locals and you can probably see why I love it so much.
It was also the perfect location for day trips to Bari, Barletta and Castel del Monte, and unlike many Italian towns of this size it’s easy to get in and out of.
Things to see and do
It’s famous for its Romanesque Duomo, which is spectacularly sited right on the sea. It must have been a wonderful sight for returning crusaders and fishermen.
It’s beautiful from all angles as you can see
One of the sounds I love in Italian is that of church bells, and these were lovely.
Nearby there’s a castle – but it’s best admired from the street as there’s not much to see inside.
But it’s the lungomare where all the action is. Early morning and evening the fishermen sell their catch
If anyone knows why this head is on this fishing boat, please enlighten me!
It’s a lovely place for a stroll, but especially so as the sun starts to set and people emerge for the evening passegiata.
On weekend evenings the road next to it is closed to traffic and full of people of all ages, hanging out, going for a stroll, having dinner or chatting to friends.
On the way to the Duomo you pass Chiesa di Ognissanti, another ancient church which was visited by the Knights Templar just before they set off for the crusades. Sometimes I get a really strong vibration from places, and this was one of those. It was a place I felt compelled to linger.
Trani is full of beautiful architecture and all the details that make southern Italian towns so charming.
Friendly locals
We found it to be a very friendly place (one of the reasons why Poliganano a Mare was such a disappointment). We’re fond of popping into a bar for an apperitivo before dinner, and at one establishment the barman told us he liked our vintage look, while at another we got chatting in Italian (thankfully locals spoke to us in Italian) to the owner and after he got over his surprise that we’re Aussies he changed the topic of conversation to ‘Border Security’ (a TV show about customs in Australia) which fascinated him greatly, and we got into a long conversation about why it’s so important, which fascinated him even further.
Stay & eat
We stayed at Albergo Lucy, a small hotel a few steps from the harbour, with parking right outside. Our room was large, with high ceilings, a beautiful tiled floor, and balcony overlooking a piazza.
We were lucky to find some great food here. We ate at …
Taverna Portanova (tucked away in the backstreets)
And had amazing takeaway focaccia at Panificio del Porto
Indulged in a faultless and fancy dinner at Gallo, also on the lungomare
And we really enjoyed Ristorante Nord-Est just off the lungomare near Albergo Lucy. There’s no menu, the waiter just tells you what they have on offer that night. two brothers, one cooks, the other serves.
If you’re travelling to Puglia, Trani makes a great base (Puglia is large, so you’ll need others as well) and is worth at least a 3-4 night stay.
If you’ve been to Trani, what did you think of it? What’s your favourite town in Puglia?
Until next time, happy travels,
The Travelling Pantaloni
