9 Best Things To Do in Alberobello

Alberobello is not a Smurf Village, but it may as well be!! and THE BEST PART, you can SLEEP in one of these houses! Here are the best things to do in Alberobello.

LOCATION: PUGLIA region of ITALY.

Introduction

Ever imagined what it would be like to live in a Smurf Village? Or, at least, to stay in one for a while? As a child, I always loved how the little Smurfs would live among each other, sharing their all and living with such a spirit of caring for each other.

I am older now, wiser to the ways of the world. Still…

Alberobello is not a Smurf Village, but it may as well be.

The houses are trulli – trullo for singular – meaning they are rounded buildings with conical roofs. The roofs are made from tiles rather than thatch, but that is the beauty of it. They look so much like the thatched huts the Smurfs live in, that it was the first thought that was in my mind when I first saw them.

They first came into being way back in the 18^th or 19^th century as a way to avoid tax collectors in the Pulia region. Apparently, they were intended to be easily and quickly dismantled once news of tax collectors in the region arrived. Another legend is that they were simply temporary housing for farmers traveling the region while offering their labor services to one farm or another. Alberobello today simply has a higher concentration of trulli than most,

Best Things To Do in Alberobello

So, the question is, what makes Alberobello special and worth a visit?

1. Sleep in a Trullo

It is almost impossible to have done all that research about Alberobello, the reading, watched all the YouTube videos, seen the photos, walked in some, and then get on your bus back to Bari without at least sleeping in one.

Quite a huge number of trulli in Alberobello are now lodges waiting for tourists seeking that overnight experience. The exteriors are already chic enough as it is. Inside, when you are not standing in one of those display houses like in the Heritage Museum, then it is quite something else.

2. Panoramic View

For one thing, Alberobello has this spot called Trulli Panoramic View Point to the north of Monti District. If you plan your itinerary well, then you arrive in Alberobello early in the morning, escaping the larger crowds.

It is an observation deck where you can many of the trulli from a high vantage point, take photos, and generally enjoy the view. It is rather weird as well as interesting to see ‘huts’ side by side with modern building styles. Gives the town an ‘artsy’ feeling to it even though they are just homes.

3. Strolling Around Town

So, this is mostly about Monti District because it is here where most of the Trulli congregate. Rione Aia Piccola is also another location with Trulli dotting the landscape, though less traveled.

Walking around the Monti district is both fun and interesting. Most of your attention is up above, staring at the roofs? Don’t forget the cobblestone ground you are walking on, they tell you something about the character of the people of Alberobello.

And don’t feel shy about grabbing close-ups of everything around you. The houses are beautiful, and their residents are both charming and welcoming.

One fun activity I had was walking around and looking up at the symbols on the conical roofs. Some are easy to recognize: arrow shapes, crosses, etc. I am told they are Christian symbols. Others are easy enough to recognize; there was this heart-shaped symbol with an arrow piercing through it. Wonder what the story there is…

Which makes the other symbols even more interesting! Here is a challenge: is it true that each roof is truly unique?

4. Trullo Siamese – the Twin Trullo

Rather than round or circular, these trulli have two special features. First, the walls are rectangular. Second, the rectangular shape comes from having more than one trulli forming the base of the building into one longer form.

In truth, it is more like conjoined twins? The heads/conical tops are separate, but the body is all joined together with one end disappearing into the other?

One fun activity I had was trying to see the doors on the Trullo Siamese. Facing different streets, it’s like stepping across a portal if you manage to enter the shop and talk your way across.

5. Shopping in Rione Monti

Taking away a unique piece of the places I travel is part and parcel of the joys of traveling across Italy. With Alberobello, many of the shops you will see sell small gift products that tell something about their home as souvenirs. For the most part, these are as artisanal handicrafts like magnets, stone and/or clay models of trulli houses, postcards of truli houses, cloths, clothing, wood carvings of boards, bowls, or cups from local woods, woven mats, and the like.

And all that before you get into shopping for local foods! The sandwiches, called Pasqualino locally, are tuna, salami, capers, and cheese in bread.

Don’t be afraid of the shopkeepers hanging out of the stores and trying to get you to step in. Looking won’t cost you, and you might fall in love with something too.

6. Saint Anthony’s Church

An interesting Church with an interesting history and background!

Built in the late 1920s, it was built in what was considered the ‘poor’ part of Alberobello, Rione Monti. The thing is that by then, the local council had placed restrictions on what kind of buildings could be built in the area.

Enter the world’s most unique church; St. Anthony’s Church, with its trulli construction and Greek-cross-shaped floor-plan design.

The inside is just as beautiful as the outside, by the way. There is the cross-shaped floor plan, odd with Italian churches I think. And then the single nave, another oddity in some ways. The fresco by Adolfo Rollo looks like something out of the Renaissance painters of old. All in all, a beautiful church and well worth at least 30 minutes of your time.

7. Trullo Sovrano/ Heritage Museum

A bit north of St. Anthony’s is Trullo Sovrano, a trullo from the very late 1700s and now a museum. It was built by a priest and, until the construction of another Sanctuary later on, used to be where they housed the Saints’ – yes, plural – relics.

Its interesting points are that it actually has two floors, making the roof rise some 14 meters into the air. I heard there are not many designed in this way so if you find out more let me know in the comments below please. Thanks!

Entering the Trullo Sovrano was quite the experience because it offers a look into what life was like back when living in such homes was a necessity rather than a design choice. Plus, for just 2 Euro a ticket, this is an experience well worth having if you find your way to Alberobello someday.

8. Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Alberobello

Definitely a very odd building, all things considered. The church looks like a cross between a Gothic cathedral and one of those stone churches out in Petra, Jordan.

Cosmas and Damian were brothers persecuted for their faith in the 3^rd century AD, and are celebrated by both Orthodox and Catholic Christians. I suppose this is why the church looks so odd on the exterior, but inside it is all Baroque in class!

A good side adventure for the day, those double bell towers are easy to spot from high up and can be something of a fun mystery trying to track where such oddities are on foot.

9. Guided Tours

A guided tour is something you should consider whether or not you are on an itinerary with your route already planned out or not. A local guide can let you get to all the spots on your plan, but will add knowledge points you might find impossible to get from your own research or on travel vouchers.

2 hours should be more than enough to hit all the spots on your itinerary and theirs, and more than enough time to hit all the high notes on your route.

Day Trips from Alberobello

1. Polignano a Mare:

Only 35 minutes away are some of the best beaches you will find anywhere on the Adriatic Sea. Plus, the restaurants by the sea, especially Grotte Palazzese which is INSIDE a cove, are awesome!

2. Caves of Castellana:

Found just outside the town of Castellana Grotte, these karst caves and their mineral formations make for some incredible pictures.

3. Alta Murgia National Park:

It’s right where you want to go just after the karst caves. Take a walk around natural woods, pop into the Swabian Castle deep in the heart if Italy, and remember to keep away from the berries though!

4. Monopoli:

An old town with whitewashed buildings and a great beach – Spiaggia di Porto Ghiacciolo, you might find the walk along the pier somewhat relaxing

5. Ostuni:

Another old town with whitewashed buildings 45 minutes away, art and architecture lovers will be thrilled with a day trip here! I especially recommend the Museum of Pre-Classical Civilizations and the Colonna di Sant’Oronzo

Places to Stay in Alberobello

If you are planning for the day trips from Alberobello, I am assuming you intend to spend at least a day in Alberobello. At the very least, sleeping in those cool/awesome, and cool/comfortable trullo, even for a day, demands you know the best places to stay. Here are a few places I recommend:

F.A.Q.s about Alberobello

1. How much time do I need in Alberobello?

There are 2 main areas in Alberobello – Rione Monti and Rione Aia Piccola – so perhaps 3 hours. But if you want to be comprehensive about seeing Alberobello, about half a day should be perfect.

2. Is it worth it to spend the night in Alberobello?

Early mornings allow you to avoid the huge crowds and get to the panoramic viewpoint with very few people around. So if you can spend the night, it would be perfect.

3. Is it safe to walk around Albereobello?

As safe as most tourist-conscious towns that place a focus on tourism. Of course, street smarts will always serve you well.