Christmas tour in Apulia and Matera
Description
Travelling in Apulia and Matera at Christmas time is a very good choice as the weather usually is quite warm and sunny, prices are very cheap and you will have the chance to discover some interesting traditions and to enjoy the magic atmoshere of Apulian Christmas.
There is a wide range of itineraries and activities. It starts with the Christmas markets (in Lecce and in some other Apulian towns are called St. Lucy markets as they start on December 13rd: St. Lucy day) where it’s possible to buy typical food and handicrafts (ceramics, wood objects, the typical papier-maché Christmas decorations and pupi: the small statues for the Christmas crib).
There are also several artistic and unusual Christmas cribs (in Salice Salentino there is one of the biggest with its 130 square meters; in Lecce there is one set up in the Roman amphitheater; in Grottaglie it’s made with big ceramic statues, in Manduria in the wine musem of a winery) and nativity scenes (Matera has achieved the Guinnes World Record for the most living figures in a nativity scene), Alberobello is a very pictoresque one in the trulli as well as the Crispiano one (set up in some caves), the medieval one of Castro and some other evocative and famous (Oria, Ostuni, Pezze di Greco, Polignano a mare, Tricase, Specchia, etc.).
Chistmas in Apulia means also typical recipes such as pittule (fried dough), vin brulè, almond biscuits, purcidduzzi and cartiddati (cookies with honey), healthy dishes with seasonal mushrooms (cardoncelli) and artichoke.
Some idea for changes to the itinerary
Christmas activities and itineraries can be mixed with some classic or personalized ones such as art and history, nature, wine and gastronomy tours, cooking classes, etc.