Adventure through Nature, History, and Flavor in Puglia

Arrival in Bari

Arrival at Bari Airport. Transfer to the hotel. Trip briefing and bicycle handover with bike fitting.

Overnight: Bari

Polignano a Mare - Ostuni

The journey begins with a train transfer from Bari to Polignano a Mare (bike transport on local Puglian trains is free), where the cycling adventure starts among the cliffs of Polignano a Mare and the walls of Monopoli. Following the Antica Via Traiana — the historic Via of the Ancient Olive Trees — riders gradually head inland, climbing toward Ostuni, the legendary White City perched on the hill, gateway to the Itria Valley.

Length: ~57.6 km | Elevation gain: +432 m Overnight: Ostun

Ostun - Noci

The heart of the Itria Valley is revealed through its most charming villages. Locorotondo with its whitewashed circular houses, Alberobello with its UNESCO World Heritage trulli, and Noci with its ancient rural settlements make up a unique mosaic of history and local identity.

Length: ~55.8 km Elevation gain: +789 m Difficulty: Medium, Low-traffic roads between medieval villages and the inverted-cone landscapes of the Itria Valley. Overnight stay: Noci

Noci - Matera

An extraordinary crossing into Basilicata takes cyclists to Matera, one of the oldest cities in the world and a UNESCO site since 1993. Carved entirely into limestone rock, the city of the Sassi is a labyrinth of cave dwellings, rock churches, and alleyways suspended in time. A candidate for European Capital of Culture in 2019, Matera is a visual and spiritual experience that exceeds every expectation.

Length: ~61.2 km Elevation gain: +484 m Overnight stay: Matera

Matera - Gravina in Puglia

The journey crosses two of the most fascinating towns in Alta Murgia: Altamura, famous for its DOP bread and Frederick II cathedral, and Gravina in Puglia, with its spectacular canyon and rock-cut cave churches carved into the stone. The landscape changes radically: we are on Italy's only continental pseudo-steppe, a territory of rare geological beauty and a candidate UNESCO Global Geopark.

Length: ~47.3 km Elevation gain: +442 m Overnight stay: Gravina in Puglia

Gravina - Masseria

This stage crosses the Alta Murgia National Park in its entirety, Italy's only continental pseudo-steppe: an open, silent, and wild landscape where the colors of the Murgia shift with the light, among limestone canyons, barren expanses, and an extraordinary endemic flora and fauna. The day ends with an overnight stay in an ancient masseria at the foot of Castel del Monte: a typical Puglian farmhouse, often dating from the 16th to 18th centuries, once an agricultural production center and today transformed into a charming accommodation that preserves the original stone architecture, inner courtyards, trulli, and warehouses. Sleeping in a masseria is an authentic and immersive experience in the Puglian landscape.

Distance: ~56.7 km Elevation gain: +550 m Overnight Stay: Masseria at the foot of Castel del Monte

Masseria - Trani

The morning visit to Castel del Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, introduces one of Italy's most enigmatic experiences: the monument commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia in the 13th century. Its perfectly octagonal plan — octagonal layout, 8 octagonal towers, 8 rooms per floor — has inspired centuries of interpretations involving astronomy, esotericism, and sacred mathematics. On top of the Murgia hill, the castle dominates a solemn and mysterious landscape. After the visit, the cyclists descend northward along the Adriatic coast to Trani, the "Pearl of the Adriatic," where the Romanesque cathedral rising directly from the sea is one of the most moving sights in southern Italy. The arrival in Trani marks the closing of a perfect circle: sea, inland, history, and return to the sea.

Length: ~61.5 km Elevation gain: +258 m The gentlest stage of the route: after Castel del Monte, the Murgia slopes down toward the sea and the Adriatic wind accompanies the final kilometers. Overnight stay: Trani

Trani with option to train to Bari

Train transfer from Trani to Bari (free bikes). Connection to the airport. End of the trip.