What to See, Do, and Eat in Alberobello: The Ultimate Guide to the Trulli Capital of Puglia

Famous worldwide, unique and renowned for its characteristic trulli, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Alberobello is a true gem in the Apulian inland. A small jewel that attracts visitors every year from all over the world, curious to visit the trulli and fascinated by the surrounding countryside full of olive trees, wheat fields, and vineyards.

What are Trulli?

The word trullo derives from the ancient Greek trûllos, meaning “dome”. This particular construction is very distinctive, circular at the base and conical at the top, built with dry stone. The southeastern Bari area is rich in these ancient dwellings, once used as temporary shelters in the countryside or permanent homes for farmers. The spread of trulli is linked to a law dating back to the Kingdom of Naples. By building houses only with dry stones, it was possible to demolish and rebuild them continuously. Thanks to this trick by Count Giangirolamo II Acquaviva d’Aragona, the “Guercio delle Puglie,” peasants managed to avoid paying taxes to the Spanish viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples, because when tax collectors arrived, they just had to remove the keystone so the dome would collapse, giving the impression that it was just a pile of rubble.

The entire Itria Valley, from historic centers to the countryside, is full of trulli that often stand alongside splendid farmhouses. But the city par excellence that hosts the greatest number of these constructions is Alberobello. Only here, in fact, there is an entire district made up of trulli, and the city is considered the cultural capital of the trulli of the Murgia.

To emphasize this uniqueness, on December 6, 1996, Alberobello was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

How to get to Alberobello

You can reach Alberobello from either Bari or Brindisi airports, by train (via Ferrovie Sud Est), or by bus. Need assistance? Our transfer service can pick you up directly from your accommodation and drop you off in Alberobello for a seamless journey.

We at Pugliamare organize many different tours every day that stop in Alberobello. Together, we can take you to discover the beauty of this place through a tour that combines sea, culture, and tradition for an unforgettable journey.

Alternatively, if you have little time in Apulia and want to visit the most iconic UNESCO cities in the area, we offer you a perfect tour for those who love history and want to discover magical villages that seem straight out of a fairy tale. We can take you to discover Matera and Alberobello, two UNESCO World Heritage cities that will leave you speechless with their timeless beauty and unique atmospheres.

What to See in Alberobello

People go to Alberobello mainly to admire the trulli: traditional dry-stone constructions from Apulia, characterized by stone walls and conical roofs, often used as temporary shelters or homes for farmers. 

These fascinating and unique constructions offer a breathtaking sight to visitors who overlook the historic center of the city, which looks like a postcard. 

While you're here, don't miss...

• Rione Monti: The neighborhood that hosts the highest concentration of trulli and offers a unique panoramic view.
• Rione Aia Piccola: The most characteristic and quiet corner of the city.
• Trullo Sovrano: The only trullo with an upper floor, accessible from inside via a masonry staircase, among the first to be built using mortar. This building features a conical dome about 14 meters high, rising at the center of a group of trulli made up of twelve cones.
• La Chiesa di San’Antonio: Built in 1927, it is unique of its kind because it is entirely made of trulli.
• Casa Pezzolla: A cluster of 15 interconnected trulli, which houses a museum.
• Casa D’Amore: The first city hall or the house-museum of the Trullo Sovrano, the only historic and original trulli still intact in the city.
• il Museo del territorio: Now a souvenir shop in the smallest trullo in the city.
• il Trullo Siamese: Two identical and attached trulli that form a single dwelling. Spagnolo:

Where and What to Eat in Alberobello

• Ristorante Casa Nova: Where you can enjoy Apulian dishes and wines beneath vaulted ceilings and stone walls in a spacious former underground oil mill from 1970.
• La Bottega del Gelato: One of the city’s historic ice cream shops where you can enjoy the best artisanal gelato.
• Terra Mossa Ristorante: A restaurant offering a wide selection of dishes, from classic Italian cuisine to traditional Apulian specialties.
• Apperò: For a 100% Made in Puglia food experience, where you can taste typical DOC, DOP, and IGP products. Here you can also find takeaway dishes for your picnics or outdoor meals, or relax while enjoying an aperitif featuring the best Apulian specialties.
• Evo Ristorante: Elegant and refined, this restaurant in the heart of the city requires advance booking. Once at the table, however, you can let yourself be captivated by the modern reinterpretation of Apulian cuisine by Chef Gianvito Matarrese.
• And don’t leave Alberobello before trying the Pasqualino, a sandwich born in 1966 filled with tuna, capers, salami, and provola cheese. Over time, very few variations have been allowed to these ingredients, and you can enjoy the Pasqualino practically in all the traditional delicatessens of the city. This sandwich was invented by Pasquale Dell’Erba, owner of a delicatessen once located between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Cesare Battisti, and a group of friends who used to order from him a sandwich with this mix of ingredients. The recipe then became very successful, and the Pasqualino became, between history and legend, the symbolic sandwich of Alberobello. Even today it is prepared as it was 60 years ago, and tourists come here specifically to taste it!