Brindisi Tourist Attractions

Brindisi isn’t the most popular tourist area to be found in Italy, but that does not mean there aren’t things to see and do there. We have listed a few activities found on getyourguide.com, but there are also beautiful beaches and stunning nature and so much more to experience and explore while visiting here.

Brindisi: Guided Tour to the Roman Port

Spend 2 hours with a licensed guide exploring the old town of Brindisi, including the Roman and medieval remains that can still be found there.

The tour starts out from Brindisi seafront after meeting up with the licensed guide under the stairs of the Roman columns. After admiring the columns, which are a symbol of the city, located at the end of the Appian Way, the tour will continue to memorial to the seamen who have died in all the wars, the Italian Sailor Monument.

Next the group will visit the Piazza Duomo and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the Palace of the Seminary and Loggia Balsamo. Following this the group will then visit the Provincial Archeological Museum F. Ribezzo and finally Granafei Nervegna Palace at which point the participants will find themselves at the beginning of the Appian Road in front of the harbor view.

Mesagne: Private Tour of Ancient Town and Outdoor Museum

Mesagne is a commune approximately 20 minutes by car from Brindisi, Italy. This 2-hour tour begins with participants meeting up with their licensed guide at the entrance to the Castello Normanno Svevo di Mesagne, the castle and also the most famous monuments of Mesagne. The group will learn about its history from the time it was a fortified encampment during the eleventh century to its use as a Baronial residence. They will also get to explore its auditorium and the 20-meter/65.6 ft tall tower while discovering the ways in which the castle has been used over the centuries since it was first built.

Next up is a visit to the Granafei museum that is showcasing important archeological Messapian discoveries. The Messapian was a historical civilization that once flourished in these areas.

End it with a wander through the ancient town, visit the majestic church dedicated to All Saints that was built between the years of 1649 and 1660 and maybe explore the Madonna del Carmine, the work of Bonito, a Neapolitan painter.

Lecce: 2.5-Hour Street Food Tasting and Walking Tour

Explore the quaint city center of Lecce and taste the best traditional snacks this southern Italian city has to offer. The tour begins when participants meet up with their guide at one of the main old gates of the city, Porta San Biagio. The food tasting will begin straight away with the experience of the frisella, twice-baked roll-bread topped with fresh tomato and local olive oil, before the group starts to move down the cozy alleys.

The expert guide will be full of anecdotes and historical details to share about the hidden treasures along the way. Next up is the tasting of salami, tarallini (which is similar to a pretzel) and wine which will take place in one of the oldest vendors in the city before heading to Piazza Duomo and the elegant monuments found there. This is followed by a visit to Porta Napoli to admire and learn about the obelisk that stands in its center.

After the savory tastings it is now time for something sweet, dessert, in the form of Lecce’s most famous cake, the pasticciotto. Pasticciotto is a small pastry stuffed with custard and the locals love eating it for breakfast. Lastly the group will arrive at Piazza Sant'Oronzo, the main square, where we find a fabulous Roman amphitheater, before ending the tour with the best gelato in town.

Lecce: Market Tour and Private Home Cooking Class

This 5-hour long experience usually begins with your guide taking you to a vibrant local market to shop for ingredients to use in the cooking class that will take place afterwards. Wander through the market while learning how to choose the best produce while enjoying the distinctive atmosphere of the market.

Once back at the home of the expert home cook you get to immerse yourself in the private cooking class while discovering secrets of some of the most famous cuisine of the region. Your cooking skills will be put to the test during the preparations of the meal and once cooking is over you will enjoy a meal so you get to taste the three local recipes cooked.

Water, wine and coffee are also included in the price for this experience and all participants will receive a free souvenir apron and shopping as memorabilia of the day.

Dietary requirements can usually be catered to, and there is flexibility for the time of the experience.

Lecce: Guided Rickshaw Tour

This 1.5-hour tour will take place on an ecological rickshaw together with a multilingual expert guide while traveling through the streets of Lecce.

Participants will get to admire main tourist attractions such as Piazza Sant’Oronzo, Piazza Duomo and the Basilica of Santa Croce as well as the ruins of the Roman theater, and the lavish Baroque churches found here. In addition to these main tourist attractions the group will venture down the hidden corners of the ancient hamlet, rich in interesting stories and legends.

The group also gets the chance to visit the ancient local craftsmanship shops before tasting some traditional wines and foods from the Salento region while riding the rickshaw through the city alleys.

Lecce: Sightseeing Tour, the Florence of South Italy

Lecce is a city full of Baroque art and architecture and this 2-hour sightseeing tour of the Florence of South Italy begins with the pick-up from Naples Gates, Porta Napoli Piazza Arco di Trionfo.

The tour will take participants to famous and historical sites such as Lecce Cathedral, built and 1144 and completely restored between the years 1659 and 1670 when it also got the addition of the 5-story bell tower and the octagonal loggia, all which helped turn it into one of Italy’s most important cathedrals.

The tour will also go to the Church of the Theatines, dedicated to St. Irene, with its expansive façade of different styles and the statue of St. Irene created by Mauro Manieri surmounted at the portal.

Other points of interest that will be visited are St. Andrew Avellino, St. Orontius by Francesco Antonio Zimbalo, St Stephen, and the 2nd-century BC Roman Amphitheatre that once seated more than 25,000 people. Over the centuries monuments have been built over big parts of it.

These are only a few of the locations that will be visited on this tour.