Endless Traveling Map: The Magical Fairy Tale Town of Alberobello, Italy

When I first saw the pictures of Alberobello over the internet a couple of years back, I thought it was a fairy tale theme park somewhere in the world. After reading up more, then I realized that Alberobello in fact is a heritage town in the south of Italy, not far from the city of Bari. Since then, I have told myself that I must visit this magical place one day. And it doesn't take long for my dream to come true, I made it this year's spring during my trip around the southern Italy.

About Alberobello
Alberobello is a little town situated in the southern region of Puglia, which is famous for its fairytale-like trulli, traditional dry stone huts with cone-shaped roofs dating back as early as the 14th century. The story behind these unique architectural structures has two sides; some believe that these buildings are constructed because of its geographical conditions and the abundant limestone materials, and some believe that it is constructed for easy dismantling and assembling to avoid paying taxes to the Kingdom of Naples. Today, some of the trulli are converted into souvenir shops, museums, restaurants and lodgings, but there are many still populated with the local residents. In 1996, the town of Alberobello with a great collection of more than 1500 beautifully preserved trulli in the region was designated a UNESCO world heritage site.

What To See:

1. Trullo Sovrano

The only 2-storeys trullo in the town, which is now a house museum showcasing interior furnishings and some authentic exhibits from the past. If you only want to visit one trullo, this should be the one. Trullo Sovrano is located in the northern part of Alberobello, behind the Church of Saints Medici Cosma e Damiano. | Location: Click Here for Map

2. The Basilica of Saints Medici Cosma e Damiano

This beautiful Basilica with a majestic facade is dedicated to the saints Cosma and Damiano, you can discover their relics in the building and also the painting of Madonna of Loreto. | Location: Click Here for Map

3. Terrazzino Belvedere Santa Lucia (Observation Deck)

The observation deck right beside the church of Santa Lucia offers a fantastic panoramic view of the old town district of Monti. This is a photo hotspot that you shouldn't miss! | Location: Click Here for Map

4. Rione Monti

The district of Monti has around 1,030 trulli, the highest concentration of trulli in the town of Alberobello. This is the best place to wander and get lost in the maze of narrow streets. There are many souvenir shops in this district and it can get really crowded in the afternoon. | Location: Click Here for Map

5. The Parish Church of Sant'Antonio

Inspired by trullo style, the Parish Church of Sant'Antonio was built with a Greek cross plan using the traditional trullo construction technique. This is the only trullo-shaped church in the world, which draws thousands of visitors every year. | Location: Click Here for Map

6. Civico 40

Unlike other trullo museums, this is an inhabited trullo house that is open to the public for viewing. Look for door number 40, which is located next to the popular gift shop, Trullo Siamese. | Location: Click Here for Map

7. Rione Aia Piccola

If you feel that the Monti district is too touristy, then you can consider going to the district of Aia Piccola, which is less commercialised and more authentic. This district has around 590 trulli, where most of them are still inhabited by the locals. Thankfully, this part of the town is spared from tourist activities. | Location: Click Here for Map

8. Casa Lippolis

Casa Lippolis is derived from the name of the owner, Vitonofrio Lippolis, the first archpriest and parish priest of the city of Alberobello. The trullo house is built toward the end of the 18th century as his private residence, and today it has become a historical landmark in Alberobello. | Location: Click Here for Map

Bonus 1. Mostra del Trullo

One of the most photogenic trulli in the town of Alberobello, and it offers a perfect backdrop with great ambience. This beautiful trullo is tucked away in one corner behind the main street; only those who wander will be rewarded. | Location: Click Here for Map

Bonus 2. Yoko's Shop

The souvenir shop is run by a Japanese and Italian couple. We were invited to their rooftop for some incredible views of the town. If they didn't invite you over, please don't get upset because there are still quite a number of souvenir shops allow you to visit their rooftop. | Location: Click Here for Map

Bonus 3. Trulli Gadgets

This is another souvenir shop that allows you to visit their rooftop. The shop is very popular due to its strategic location. When the town in full swing, the shop get really crowded. | Location: Click Here for Map

Where to Eat:

1. La Fontana

We stumbled upon La Fontana by chance after we got turned down by the other 2 restaurants that we have shortlisted earlier. I feel grateful that we found this family restaurant that has been around for more than 100 years. Their specialties are meats and sausages, and one of the dishes that you must try is their Bombette, grilled meat rolls up like a sausage. Overall, their friendly service and the delicious foods with a taste of home cooking made us feel very welcome. | Location: Click Here for Map

Bombette

Italian Salad

2. Evo Ristorante

This is the restaurant that we initially want to settle down for our lunch, but we got turned down because reservation is required. Evo Ristorante is an elegant and stylish restaurant run by a group of young people. They got a high number of good reviews online and they are known for serving traditional dishes with a modern and refined twist. | Location: Click Here for Map

3. Trattoria Amatulli

After checking out Evo Ristorante, we went to Trattoria Amatulli, a down home cooking restaurant located off the main square in Alberobello. They are known for their simple and unpretentious cooking that comes with an intimate atmosphere. I really like the ambience of this restaurant, but too bad we missed their lunch hours, so we had left with disappointment and hunger. | Location: Click Here for Map

Getting to Alberobello

As a train fanatic, I won't miss any opportunities for a train ride. In my opinion, the best way to reach Alberobello from Bari is by train because it is easy, comfortable, inexpensive and comes with a view of the countryside. We took a regional train from Bari Centrale station to Alberobello Station, the journey took us around 1hr 40mins and follow by 5mins walk to the heritage town of Alberobello. It is important to know that this regional train is operated by Ferrovie Sud-Est company, not by Trenitalia. Therefore, you have to go to Ferrovie Sud-Est train platform to board the train, and you can purchase the tickets from the ticket office next to the platform.

Being a world heritage site has its pro and con, the good is the place will be conserved and the bad is not really bad but the site will eventually become a tourist attraction. Despite the fact that Alberobello is getting more touristy, there are still plenty of sights with rustic charm waiting for you to discover. I think now is the best time to visit this unique Italian town that offer a magical fairy tale experience before it really turned into a tourist theme park.