Unique holiday accommodations - trulli in Puglia

Alberobello is the trulli-capital of Apulia. Where usually only single cone tips are scattered in the landscape, here you will find in the centre whole districts that are made up of the typical Itria valley dwellings. Decried by some as "trulli-Disneyland", there are quiet and original corners without tourists, though. The better known district "Rione Monti" consists of 1000 trulli huddling up against the slope. In the sunlight the blazing-white little houses look like a Fata Morgana. Totally real against this is what is offered to you when strolling through the meandering alleys: Restaurants, that prepare the typical Apulian Orecchiette - in a trullo of course. Self-appointed artists in their trullo-atelier, painting trulli in a poppy field. Souvenir shops in trulli, offering mini-trulli with pink glitter. If that's too much for you, there are things without trullo, such as spice blends. Groups of Japanese tourists seem to want to take pictures of themselves in front of every single of the unreal housings. Sometimes one gets to a blind alley where tiny, half crumbled trulli are on sale. There is a trullo-church, too. But Alberobello is not as crowded and commercial on this June's day as our guide book warned us. On the opposite hill sits the second, smaller trulli district "Rione Aia Piccola". There are no souvenir shops und the facades are not that bright-white. The trulli are inhabited, there is clothes on the clothesline and the nonna relaxes on a bench in front of her trullo, friendlily greeting passers-by.
The new town is completely trullo-free. On the piazza the locals meet and discuss gesticulating franticly, just the way one imagined an Italian piazza to be. Well, not completely trullo-free. The Trullo Sovrano from the 18th century nowadays is a museum, equipped with the original furniture. By the way it's the only two-storey trullo!
Whether Alberobello is too commercialized or not, that's up to you. Especially in the off season visitors still can find many unspoilt corners. Simply rent your own trullo in the surroundings. There is no better place to soak up the region's sense of life. And from there you can visit Alberobello - the view on the trulli hill is not of this world.

Information:
Pro Loco
Via Monte Nero

Weekly market:
Thursday