Trulli Country Attractions Zona dei Trulli

Alberobello (428m/1,412ft; pop. 10,000) is a picturesque little town with more than 1,000 trulli in the Zona Monumentale, including the church of Sant'Antonio, a modern building built in trullo style, and the two-story Trullo Sovrano in the north of the town, the largest in Alberobello.

The little town of Locorotondo (410m/1,353ft; pop.13,000) is circular in plan.

Between Locorotondo and Martina Franca is the Valle d'Itria, also with numerous trulli.

Martina Franca (431m/1,422ft; pop. 44,000) is a town with charming Baroque buildings, for example the Palazzo Ducale (1669) and the collegiate church of San Martino (18th century).

Two small towns in the Zona dei Trulli are Cisternino (394m/1,302ft; pop. 12,000) and Fasano (118m/389ft; pop. 37,000). Worth visiting is the park outside Fasano (1km/0.75 mi) which occupies an area of 80,000 sq.m. More than 600 animals (including lions) can be seen here. Close to Egnazia, 9km/5 mi north of Fasano, is one of the most important Apulian sites.

At the southern end of the Zona dei Trulli close to the sea is Ostuni (218m/719ft; pop. 32,000), a picturesque little town with white, rustic houses; on a hill stands the late Gothic cathedral (15th century).

To the north of the Zona dei Trulli, 15km/9mi southwest of the port of Monopoli (9m/30ft; pop. 45,000), which has an 18th century cathedral, are the caves of Castellana (tours); they rank with the Postojna caves in Yugoslavia as the finest stalactitic caves in Europe. The caves have a total length of approximately 1.2km/0.75mi - much more if the various ramifications are included (two lifts). The finest cave is the Grotta Bianca (special conducted tours), unsurpassed in Europe for its perfect condition and its profusion of stalagmites and stalactites. Above the cave is an lookout tower (28m/92ft high, 170 steps); nearby a cave museum.