Far in the south of Italy, where the geographical heel of the boot is located, lies Puglia. The picturesque region sometimes seems to have fallen out of time with its characteristic trulli, picturesque villages, centuries-old farmland and farmsteads. Tradition, culture, enjoyment and craftsmanship are still very important here. In the villages, there is always a reason to celebrate a cheerful festival with good food and wine in summer.
Puglia is an important wine region, with the Primitivo grape variety being the flagship grape of the local wineries. The region is also home to olives, almonds, prickly pears, citrus fruits and many other types of fruit and vegetables. The whole thing is garnished with more than 800 kilometers of coastline and around 300 days of sunshine a year. In the summer months, the sun shines for an average of ten hours a day.
The award-winning Borgo Egnazia hotel complex is located in the middle of this idyllic setting. It is a stylish retreat for families looking for accommodation with soul. In addition to traditional Apulian architecture with modern luxury, you will find hidden gardens and exquisite cuisine. A wide range of activities and various opportunities to explore the surrounding area in an unusual way ensure variety and fun for young and old. Excursions with the Apecar, a cooking course or a boat tour at sunset are just some of the experiences that families can look forward to.
What could be better suited to an "Italian road movie" than a stylish vintage car? This is exactly the kind of car that will take you past historic dry stone walls, endless olive groves and postcard-perfect villages. Picturesque towns such as Ostuni, Alberobello or Polignano a Mare invite you to make a stopover, where parents can stroll through narrow alleyways with their children, admire the Apulian architecture and lick genuine Italian ice cream. In a vintage car, the wind ruffles the hair of the laughing family as the vast landscape passes them by and the next town is already waiting for them.
Monopoli is a place full of color, history and salty sea air. The traditional "Vozz", the dialect name for Gozzi, the typical blue and red wooden boats of the region, are moored in the quaint harbor. A stroll through the historic center with its picturesque alleyways, lively squares, churches and palaces feels like a journey back in time. Because of its labyrinthine urban structure, Monopoli is also known as the "city of 100 quarters".
Incidentally, Monopoli has a historical connection to Egnazia (also: Gnathia): Ancient Monopoli was once subordinate to Gnathia. After Gnathia was destroyed by the Ostrogoth king Totila in 545, its inhabitants fled to Monopoli.
Nothing is more synonymous with Puglia than the trulli, the iconic, traditional round houses with stone roofs that characterize the landscape. Together with Francesco, a true Apulian, families walk through the famous trulli village of Alberobello. He tells stories about life in the round houses and provides fascinating insights into Apulian culture. Between the whitewashed trulli, past and present merge with Francesco, making this tour unforgettable.
The visit to Alberobello is rounded off in Maria's trullo, where she welcomes her guests with Italian warmth and prepares them a homemade, local lunch. This is what real hospitality tastes like.
If Maria's cooking skills have convinced you, it's time for the next step: get to work on the dough! In a traditional country house, families learn how to make orecchiette, a type of pasta typical of Puglia, bake focaccia and prepare fresh vegetables from the garden. Everyone gets their own cooking station and can try out, shape, cut, stir and snack on their own. After cooking, the home-made menu is eaten together and the prepared dishes are tasted by each other. Which food tastes best?
As if Polignano a Mare wasn't already dreamy enough with its enchanting townscape, small boutiques and the many grottos in the rocks, the town can be experienced even more intensely with a tour of a special kind: on a rattling Apecar. The (three-wheeled) van is closely associated with Italy in many people's minds and is always a popular photo motif. Families can now take this iconic vehicle through enchanting Polignano a Mare and past spectacular cliffs that cause a sensation every year when cliff divers fearlessly plunge around 20 meters into the depths.
Polignano a Mare is also the birthplace of singer Domenico Modugno, whose song "Volare" was a worldwide hit in 1958 and is still sung fervently today.
If you hop on a bike, you can experience the history of Egnazia from a different perspective and at your own pace. Cycle leisurely past the National Archaeological Museum of Egnazia with the historic ruins of the original settlement of Gnathia. The route continues along ancient walls and through the Mediterranean landscape with olive trees and vineyards. With every pedal stroke, families immerse themselves deeper into the impressive landscape of the Valle d'Itria. This is located between Bari and Brindisi and is known as the valley of the trulli.
Among the highlights of a bike tour are the oldest and most beautiful Apulian masserie, i.e. old agricultural estates that were often surrounded by dry stone walls and worked by farming families. Food, wool etc. were produced by the self-sufficient farmers themselves. Today, many masserias have been converted into accommodation for guests and provide an authentic insight into history, tradition and rural charm.
A family-friendly cycle tour through the historic landscape of Egnazia leads to one of the oldest farms in the region. Families learn about the production process during a visit of typical dairy products such as mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella. Of course, the fresh products can also be tasted - after all, your mouth is already watering during the tour.
When the sky above the port of Savelletri glows golden and the sun slowly sets, it's time for a very special experience. On board the Sciallino 53 motor yacht, families enjoy an aperitif and local delicacies. As they watch the play of colors of the sunset, the boat rocks on the gentle waves, a few seagulls sail in the wind and the healing, salty sea air gets deeper into their lungs with every breath. People laugh, chat, relax and eat the delicacies served with delightful bites.
In addition to the numerous activities, Borgo Egnazia and the surrounding region offer families a relaxing vacation in Apulia and plenty of time together. Try your hand at a cooking course, pedal at a leisurely pace on a bike tour and have fun on a ride in an Apecar or a vintage car. At the end of the day, at the end of the vacation, children, parents and grandparents remember all the many moments they were able to experience together in Borgo Egnazia.