The best things to do in Trani, Puglia

Trani is a picturesque port city in Puglia, just 40 km from Bari. It’s located along the Adriatic coast and is nicknamed the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ because of its beauty and strategic location. It has an interesting and varied history – including, in the 12th century, having one of the largest Jewish settlements in Southern Italy.

We stayed in Trani for six nights and there was plenty to see and do – especially if you visit some of the nearby towns too.

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Why should you visit Trani?

Trani is one of those cities in Italy that you won’t find tons of non-Italian tourists. So if you like to go where Italians go on holiday, consider Trani! We stayed in Trani for six nights and I think we came across non-Italians about four of five times. That’s not to say that there aren’t any, just nowhere near as many non-Italian visitors as other cities in Puglia.

How to get to Trani from Bari airport

Getting to Trani from Bari airport is pretty easy as it’s only about a 40km drive. If you want to get a taxi, I highly recommend booking one in advance rather than getting one outside the airport as it will be cheaper. Also, there is literally one taxi in Trani so if you want to get a taxi back to the airport, you definitely need to book it. We arrived late in the evening and had pre-booked a taxi, through our B&B, for €75. At that time of night (11pm) there was no traffic at all so we were in Trani in about 25 minutes. If you message me, I’m happy to give you the name and number of the taxi driver that we had.

Another option – which is what we did on the way back as our flight was in the early afternoon – was to get the train. It’s only a few stops from Trani to Bari and then you get a different train to the airport. All in all it took about an hour and a half (but we did have a 30 minute gap between trains) and it cost about €18 for two of us. Much more economical if you’re on a budget! And very easy to book too. You can either book in advance on Trenitalia or at the train station itself.

Getting around Trani

Trani is a very walkable city. You really don’t need transport to get around as everything is in walking distance. We always hire a scooter when we’re in Italy but Trani doesn’t have anywhere that you can hire them so we had to hire one from Bisceglie, the next city – however, we also could’ve done without it. There are plenty of bicycles and e-bikes for hire in Trani and you can visit the neighbouring cities by train.

There’s actually a dedicated cycling lane all the way from Trani to Bisceglie so totally safe to cycle!

Where to stay in Trani

There are tons of places to stay in Trani! Everywhere we looked there was a sign for a B&B. In fact, a couple of the restaurants we went to for dinner also owned a B&B! We opted to stay just a 5 minute walk from the marina at the lovely Borgobeltrani, which is in an historic building and very reasonably priced.

Our room was really spacious, quiet and clean and breakfast is included at their cafe next door. The staff were also really helpful and friendly. I’d definitely recommend staying here if you’re visiting Trani.

The best things to do in Trani

Trani is not a huge city. To be honest, you could probably see everything in about two or three days. As we were there for a beach holiday, six nights was perfect to feel relaxed, enjoy the sights that Trani has to offer and to explore some of the nearby cities.

Do a guided walking tour (or explore on your own)

One of the best ways to discover a city, in my opinion, is to just walk around and explore. It’s always good to do some research so you can plan what you want to see but sometimes you stumble across the most interesting buildings, monuments or cute little corners when you’re just wandering around. Of course, you can also do this with an expert guide. Get your Guide offers a 1.5 hour walking tour of Trani with a local expert – what a great way to familiarise yourself with this beautiful city and learn about its history.

The South of Italy is deeply religious so remember to always look up when you’re walking to discover religious paintings and figurines on walls and outside homes.

Visit Trani Cathedral

Trani Cathedral, as it stands today, is a 12th century Roman Catholic cathedral built in the Romanesque style. It was built over the previous church of Santa Maria della Scala, which dated back to the 4th century. Construction began in 1099 until the end of the 12th century. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim, who was Greek, and is also called Cattedrale di San Nicola Pellegrino.

The bell tower stands at 59 meters and was built in the 13th century. You can see that the top is a bit different to the lower part, with wider windows – that part was built in the 14th century. In the 1950s the bell tower was actually dismantled and rebuilt to ensure it wouldn’t fall down. For €5 per person, you can visit the bell tower and the money is then used towards the restoration and conservation of the Basilica.

How utterly magnificent is the entrance to the cathedral? A view of the sea on your left and then this huge bronze door with ornate stone, which is local to Trani, featuring animals and people. This door is actually a replica of the original, which you can find inside the cathedral. The original door dates back to 1175.

Inside the cathedral is just as impressive as the outside, however you are not allowed to take photos or video inside so you’ll just have to take my word for it! Visitors are also not permitted in the crypt, which is reserved strictly for prayer.

Relax at the beach

The beaches in the Apuglia part of Puglia, in my opinion, are not as nice as the beaches in the Salento part of Puglia – but they are still great. There are plenty of places to swim right in Trani itself. Our favourite was this small, pebbled beach by the Monastery. There are a few lidos – one is called Cala Colonna – where you can rent sunbeds on a decked area or you can lie on the beach for free. Trust me when I say that you will need flip flops or diving shoes here to get in and out of the water as the pebbles really hurt your feet!

Just a two minute walk around the corner is a much bigger beach that has sand rather than pebbles. There are also lots of lidos and bars and restaurants. We did visit here once but it was far too crowded for us.

Our favourite beach was actually about an eight minute drive away, towards Bisceglie, called Spiaggia la Torretta. You can also reach this beach via the cycle lanes. It’s also a pebble beach but the water was much nicer and it was quiet.

If you decide to visit Molfetta, take your swimming costume as they have a cute little beach right by the cathedral, called Cala Sant’Andrea. It’s a really good beach for children as it’s a sandy beach and the water is quite shallow and calm.

Take a trip to Castel del Monte

You can definitely visit Trani and some of the nearby towns without a car, however if you want to visit Castle del Monte you will need transport as it’s about 40 minutes from Trani or about 20 minutes from the centre of Andria. However, if you really don’t fancy hiring a car – or let’s face it, driving in Italy – you can book a tour to Castel del Monte from Trani.

I’ve seen many castles in Italy and most of them are not particularly pretty but Castel del Monte is not only pretty but also pretty unusual! It’s an octagon shape which is definitely not the norm when it comes to castles.

It was built during the 1240s by King Frederick II of Sicily when he inherited the lands from his mother. As the name suggests, it was built on a mountain – well, more of a hill. King Frederick II is responsible for the construction of many castles in Apuglia, including the Castle of Trani and Castello Svevo di Bari – neither of which hold a candle to Castel del Monte in terms of design.

During its history, the castle has been used as a prison and also as refuge during a plague. In the 1800s it was stripped of its marble walls and columns by vandals and when you visit today, it is empty inside. However, it’s still pretty magnificent!

Castle del Monte was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and described as “a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture.” The castle also appears on the Italian version of the one cent Euro coin – which of course I’m now going to make it my mission to get one!

It costs €10 per person to visit the castle or you can get a discount if you buy a ticket for the Castle of Trani too.

Visit the Castle of Trani

I will be completely upfront about visiting the Castle of Trani… it wasn’t that impressive…! However, since you don’t pay any tourist city tax in Trani I feel that it’s a nice thing to do to support tourism in the city and to help with the costs of maintaining the castle. It was only €8 per person and if you buy a ticket for Trani castle and Castle del Monte, you get a discount for both.

The Castle of Trani or Castello di Trani, is a Swabian castle built by King Frederick II in 1233. It’s located on a rocky bank right by the sea and near the port. There’s not really much to see inside but the most interesting part for me were the medieval toilets! I found it interesting that there are two right next to each other… not ones for privacy then!

The castle itself wasn’t particularly interesting and I don’t think you’d miss out if you didn’t visit it. One of the best things was the view that you got of the Cathedral from the where the guards would patrol to protect the castle.

Enjoy aperitivo

One of my favourite things to do when I’m on holiday in Italy is to have aperitivo before dinner. There are so many places in Trani to enjoy aperitivo – from a rooftop overlooking the marina to beach bars overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

The rooftop bar at the luxury Ognissanti Hotel offers fabulous views over the Marina. And even though it’s part of a fancy hotel, it wasn’t actually that expensive compared to other places we went to for aperitivo.

If you fancy a sea view with your aperitivo, head to Barbayanne which is a lovely bar, that also serves food, along Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo. They have a few different seating areas but I highly recommend going downstairs to be closer to the sea.

Usually in Italy when you have aperitivo it comes with snacks, like olives or crisps, but in Trani everywhere we went you had to order the snacks and pay separately for them. It was usually €2 each for olives or crisps or taralli – which is a typical savoury snack from Puglia that you must try!

Eat delicious Puglian food

Puglia is a region with fantastic food and the restaurants in Trani did not disappoint! We had fantastic meals and great pasta courses. There are so many restaurants to choose from to suit every budget but if you’re more into elegant and fine dining restaurants then you’ll love Trani.

If you’re looking for something more casual but with good food and lovely views, try Peschef. They have two locations in Trani. One right on the marina and one on Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo. We had lunch at their Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo restaurant on our first day and they made a great Aperol Spritz!

If you’re looking for something more sophisticated with innovative food, like this tuna tartare with strawberry granita, citrus pieces and toasted almonds (absolutely divine!) try Locanda Trani, which is in a side road off the marina. It was fabulous!

Explore the nearby cities

There are lots of lovely cities close to Trani that you can visit – either by train or car. We explored nearby Bisceglie and Molfetta. We also visited Andria on our way to Castel del Monte but there didn’t seem that much to do (that we could see) so we just had lunch there.

Bisceglie

Bisceglie is a city that’s about a 15 minute drive away or you can even cycle to it using the cycle lane that runs from Trani to Bisceglie. If you prefer, you can get the train from Trani. It takes about 6 minutes and cost €1.30 per person.

Bisceglie has a very cute little marina, which has quite a few restaurants. We had lunch here twice on different days. And of course it’s got beaches as it’s on the coast so you can definitely spend a whole day here.

A very typical dish in Puglia is friselle, which is twice-baked bread that looks a bit like a bagel and is very crunchy. We had an absolutely delicious, simple friselle with tomatoes and oregano from La Nassa which is located by the marina. They were divine and only €4!

Bisceglie has an old town, which is definitely worth wandering around in as it’s got some beautiful old buildings and churches. Just look at this incredible 19th century fresco on the Cathedral of Saint Peter Apostle.

Bisceglie also has a castle that was built in 1070, called Castello Svevo Angioino di Bisceglie. It started as a Norman tower and was expanded upon. We didn’t go inside so I can’t say what it’s like but it’s something to see if you want to spend the day in Bisceglie.

Molfetta

Molfetta is a seaside city about a 30 minute drive from Trani or a 10 minute train ride. When we visited on a Friday morning they were setting up for a weekend festival along the marina.

The stunning Duomo di San Corrado was built in the 12th – 13th centuries and sits next to a beach on one side and overlooks the marina on the other side. It’s free to visit and definitely worth spending 20 minutes or so of your time to go inside. It also has a very cool Nativity scene that becomes animated if you put a coin in the box. Kids would love that!

When we visited Molfetta we started with coffee and pastries, then a visit to the Duomo, followed by a swim at the small beach by the Duomo. Molfetta has other beaches too but we just had the one swim so we didn’t see what they are like. This beach has a fantastic view of the Duomo with its two bell towers.

After our swim, we were walking around looking for somewhere to go for lunch and stumbled upon the Chiesa della Morte or in English… the Church of Death. You’ll find it in Via Morte. How old it is no one is really sure but it was mentioned for the first time in a document dating back to 1142. In 1614 it was sold to be used as a burial site. Essentially, dead bodies were put into holes in the floor (which are now covered by glass panels) to decompose in a series of underground chambers. The last chamber has direct access to the sea, which is where the last of the remains would end up. A bit macabre, but fascinating.

We had lunch at Cantina Maya, which does tapas as well as specialising in Spaghetti all’Assassina – so spicy it’s called Assassin’s spaghetti! Suffice to say we didn’t try that but we had a number of tapas dishes – all of which were delicious, although quite small. The one we had that was the most substantial and filling was the frittatina. It’s basically deep fried pasta with sauce – delicious!

Now… we didn’t do this as I’ve only just found out about it and I’m kicking myself that we missed out! I’m sharing it because we 100% would’ve gone if we’d known about it and I’d hate for you to miss out. Obviously I don’t have any photos but you can Google it to see what it looks like and whether you think it’s worth visiting as it’s about 1.5km from Molfetta.

Pulo di Molfetta is a sinkhole that was caused by the ceiling of a cave collapsing. It dates back to the Bronze Age and consists of caves that were inhabited in Neolithic times and is a natural amphitheater. Apparently it’s also got more than 200 species of Flora, if you’re into that kind of thing. You can only visit it on Saturdays and Sundays and by appointment only, which you request by emailing info-molfetta@viaggiareinpuglia.it.

So those are my recommendations for the best things to do in Trani and why I think you should add Trani to your Puglia itinerary!

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