Do you have a few days off during the Christmas season and want to spend it on vacation in Puglia? The region of Puglia is the perfect destination to relax and fully immerse yourself in the joyful atmosphere of the holidays. In particular, Salento, with its mild temperatures and beautiful places, living nativity scenes, variousChristmas and New Year's Eve initiatives and historic centers all to be discovered.
Spending New Year's Eve or a few days of vacation between Christmas and Epiphany in Salento allows you to discover the authenticity of this land even in the low season. The province of Lecce has a reputation for being wonderful in summer, with its beautiful beaches. Less known in autumn and winter, it will be able to conquer visitors with its peculiarities, including that of offering several low-cost stays.
You can start with a weekend in Lecce. Piazza sant'Oronzo is the heart of the historic center but also the crossroads of the busiest shopping streets along which to engage in Christmas shopping and choose last-minute gifts. Every year this square, which is the city's salon buono, is adorned with illuminations, including a majestic Christmas tree, while a traditional artistic nativity scene is usually set up in the Roman amphitheater.
A short walk from the square, throughout the period leading up to Christmas, is the ancient castle of Charles V where theSanta Lucia market, also known as the "puppet fair," is held. Here one can find all kinds of decorations to embellish one's nativity scene and home, or make a unique gift to loved ones. Lecce, the capital of papier-mâché, is also all swarming with stores where one can buy traditional "puppets" usually with a religious theme.
In addition to being able to visit the beautiful Baroque churches, which are always very atmospheric, the Christmas season is also perfect for those who want to spend pleasant moments of serenity, especially in these times marked by the health emergency linked to covid 19. In Lecce city for several years there has been the Kids Festival, a review of theatrical and circus performances dedicated to children. Another event to celebrate the New Year, during the day of January 1, is the New Year of Peoples.
Beyond the city, the province of Lecce and the upper Salento teem with stops worth discovering if you choose to spend a few extra days in the cozy accommodations of the small villages and towns.
For more than 30 years in Tricase, on a hill known as Monte Orco, the miracle of Christmas has been staged, which like a time machine allows you to immerse yourself in the magic of a small ancient world. Tricase's living nativity scene is among the largest and oldest in Italy.
In Nardò, a beautiful town known for its marinas and Portoselvaggio Park, you can spend a pleasant afternoon strolling through the historic center. At Christmas, the town is decorated with lights and enlivened by various markets. For Christmas 2021, an antique merry-go-round has been set up right in front of the Acquaviva Castle.
Gallipoli remains itself even during Christmas and New Year's Eve. And fortunately so, since its historical traditions are among the most fascinating and original in the area! In the days leading up to the first of the year, traditional papier-mâché "pupi" are set up along the streets of Gallipoli.
During the night of December 31, they become thunderous fireworks for the customary "firing of the puppets." In addition, in the historic center of the Città Bella, you can visit artistic nativity scenes and the cute themed store, which remains open all year round indicating daily how many days are left until next Christmas.
To admire the first sunrise of the New Year, however, you have to get to Otranto, to be exact to the Palascia lighthouse, the easternmost point in Italy. Often in the past years events, concerts and DJ sets have been organized to wait all together for the sunrise in this place that, regardless of New Year's Eve, is worth visiting for its evocative atmosphere.
Santa Maria di Leuca, the southeasternmost point of the Heel of Italy, is also well worth a walk to visit the shrine of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae. This is the destination of pilgrimages and the final destination of those traveling the Via Francigena in Apulia.
Not only Salento. For those who choose Apulia as a destination to spend a few days of vacation at Christmas 2021, there are many places that can convey serenity and also allow you to discover beautiful towns rich in history and ancient suggestions.
Among them, in the province of Brindisi, Mesagne stands out, which, in this period, looks impeccable, aspiring to become the Italian capital of culture in 2022. Beyond the ancient gateway to the historic center are the castle, home to a small but well-organized museum, the mother church and - given the Christmas mood - even the permanent artistic nativity scene.
Moving on up to the province of Bari, two stops not far from each other allow you to immerse yourself in an unparalleled Christmas atmosphere. The first is Locorotondo, with its circular old town whitewashed in whitewash and decorated each year with care, providing a priceless photographic set for anyone crossing its narrow streets armed with a camera lens.
The second stop is Alberobello, with its trulli , which have made Apulia famous throughout the world and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Christmas atmosphere makes them even more beautiful, and almost gives one hope of seeing some cute elves emerge from one of the many little doors.
