Amidst vineyards and olive groves in impressive scenery of Valle d’Itria there is at the Apulian wine route the small village Cisternino. Built in the 5.th Century the village ranks to one of the most beautiful places of Italy. Situated on a hill the old walled-in town with its whitewashed houses, its small lanes and stair cases radiates a peculiar charm.

The church S. Nicola, the main church of the village and the about 17 m high Norman fortified tower stand at the entrance of the old town. In the centre are the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and the well-known tower bell - a place where people meet in the evening to take an aperitif. From here branch many small lanes where in small houses many shops, bars and restaurants are located. The terrace "Belvedere" offers a fantastic view on the whole valley with its wide range of characteristic Trulli, the ancient whitewashed farmhouses with the typical cone-roofs.

Cisternino and the Valle d'Itria are particularly suitable to make walking or cycling tours along the small ways and roads which are lined by walls of stacked stones. Well-known places as e.g. Alberobello (Unesco World Heritage), Locorotondo and the white town Ostuni are only a few kilometres apart from Cisternino. Also the Grotte di Castellana, ein zugängliches Höhensystem, one of the most beautiful accessible elevator systems of Italy, is only about 35 km away.

For gulf-friends there is the gulf club San Domenico near Fasano advisable. For wellness invites the well-known thermal baths in Torre Canne. Between Torre Canne. Between Torre Canne and Marina di Ostuni there are long sandy beaches and dunes and also rocky areas with crystal clear water.

to the holiday accommodations

If one likes to take a typical dinner in the evening so here one goes to the butcher, who has in front or near his shop posed tables and banquettes (note the sign "Formello Pronto").

At the bar one chooses the meat which will be prepared as requested. Fixings and a vine of the region complete the dish.

Also for friends of vegetable diet there are several dishes in the restaurants. Highly recommended is a choosing of the delicious antipasti in Apulia.