Bari mainly famous for being one of the exit doors of Italy, where travellers leave on ferries for neighboring countries. The city authorities, however, have been trying to raise its tourism profile and awareness on Bari's old town, which has retained its ancient mediaeval plan and contains many historic buildings and sites. The old town was the heart of pre-Roman and Roman Bari and it is now possible to find several hip bars and restaurants open "from dusk till dawn" in this once dark and unsafe zone.
Getting there By boat:
Bari is the destination for ferries incoming from the Greek port of Patra. If you are traveling on a Eurorail during the low season, the cost is 16 Euro, during the mid season, 31 Euro. There are also ships to Bar and Kotor (Montenegro), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and to Durrës (Albania). Ferry operators are either Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries or Azzurraline.
Places to visit:
There a lot of places to see in Bari, especially in the ancient part of the city, called Bari Vecchia by locals
It's a beautiful mediaeval quarter in which there are a lot of important churches. The cathedral of Saint Nicolaus, for instance, has a gold ceiling and a crypt.
There is a small town - 20 minutes outside of Bari named "Adelfia - Montrone". The patron saint is San Trifone. Nove 9 is the start of a three day celebration. On Nov 9 is the early evening a giant beautiful balloon is release which signifies the start of the festival. On the 10th, the statue of San Trifone is brought out of the church and paraded around the town. Bands from all over Italy come and perform on the outdoor stage. Fireworks are displayed throughout the evening into the early morning.
You don't want to miss the Basilica of San Nicola (Saint Nicholas), the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035 - 1171) and the Castello Svevo of Frederick II.
