Vieste Travel Guide

  Your ItalyItalia guide for Vieste …      Giampaolo Nanula

My Vieste…

"To understand Vieste you need to consider that the Gargano park is both the sea and mountain together. Geographically it's called a promontory but Gargano's double nature is unique, and can be observed in the character of the people of Vieste. Vieste locals are open to strangers, like almost all port towns, but at the same time they are jealous of their own traditions and a little conservative, as if living atop an isolated mountain peak. It would be nice to arrive in Vieste on foot, climbing and descending the mountain paths, following the coast's chalky white cliffs that, all of a sudden, open out into small, secret beaches of pebble or sand.

A few kilometres inland the landscape changes radically and sunny beaches are replaced by the huge trees of Umbra Forrest, its fresh colours and smells. For millennia the mountain and the sea have co-existed, each subtly transforming the other to create magnificent bays framed by maritime pines, natural grottoes on the outskirts of the city and above all, spectacular rock forms dotted along the coast. The most famous is "Pizzomunno", a natural monolith excavated by the sea right near Vieste's entrance, almost as if nature wanted to donate a town guardian."

Read more on Gianpaolo and his Travel Guides on Apulia

   How to arrive at Vieste

        Vieste Attractions
        What to see and do

1. Cathedral of the Assumption "Cattedrale dell'Assunta"
2. Rock formation, "Pizzomunno"
3. Vieste Castle
4. The local beaches
5. A boat excursion to the nearby marine grottos
6. The historical town centre
7. Eat "bruschetta"
8. Excursion to the Tremiti islands
9. Museum of the Sea, "Museo del Mare"
10. Umbra Forrest

By plane: The closest airport to Vieste is that of Bari - Palese, about 180km in distance.

By car: The best way to reach Vieste is undoubtedly by car. From the north take the A14 freeway and look out for the Poggio Imperiale exit, following signs to Peschici, Vieste. From Naples take freeway A17 with the Candela exit, then following signs for Foggia, Manfredonia, Vieste. From the south, take freeway A14 using the Foggia exit and via Manfredonia, Vieste.

Other: Rail services to Vieste are scarce. Although the town has a railway station with regional connections, most transport to Vieste is by bus, with lines running from Foggia, Manfredonia and other nearby centres.

  Events at Vieste

San Giorgio celebration
The key festivals celebrated at Vieste are those dedicated to the patron saints. On the 23rd of April San Giorgio is celebrated with a street procession and a special horse race held on Vieste's beach. On the 9th of March the whole community participates in a ritual for the cult of Santa Maria di Merino. A sacred picture of the saint is carried 7kms in procession to a sanctuary on the town's outskirts. Tradition dictates that the picture must be carried facing the sea on the outward journey and inland, towards the fields, on its return. In this way the saint's benevolent gaze protects both of the city's riches.

Another Vieste event not to miss is the blue fish food festival held on the first Saturday of September.

  Vieste's Typical Food

Fresh Fruit and "Gargano" bread
An absolute must do for anyone who visits Vieste is a trip to the open-air market, a true feast for the senses. Stall benches overflow with fruit and vegetables sparkling with colour as well as palatable prices. There are eons of preserves, from simple capsicums, eggplants and zucchinis to the typical, local "lampascioni", a bitter type of green onion. One speciality to note is the "percoche", a yellow peach variety that is fleshy and crisp. Naturally it can be eaten alone but locals like to slice it into red wine and leave for a couple of hours before enjoying on warm summer evenings.

Another must on the culinary trail is the bread of Gargano, sold in grand 5-6kg sizes. The tradition behind such big loaves was born from the local shepherds, who needed bread to last long trips up the mountain while their flocks grazed. Still today the bread of Gargano is known for its durability but it's best sampled fresh and prepared as "bruschetta" in one of the many locales of the historical town centre, topped with cherry tomatoes and olive oil dressing.

Vieste's almond sweets and cheeses are further treats, in particular the semi-hard, cow's milk cheese variety known as "caciocavallo podolico".

  Giampaolo's Spotlight

Vieste historical monuments
The historical town centre of Vieste dates to the medieval era and is a maze of narrow laneways, flanked by typical low-lying whitewashed houses that end suddenly at terraces on the sea. The city is dominated by its castle that dates back to the 13th century and is today used as a military base.

A little below the castle, the town's X-XI century cathedral is dedicated to Mary of the Assumption, "Maria Assunta", and is one of Apulia's oldest churches in Romanesque style. The original style, however, has been recast over the centuries, especially after an earthquake in 1646 destroyed almost a third that was later remodelled in a more baroque form. A short distance from the cathedral is the "Chianca Amara", or so-called "Bitter Stone". In 1554 this large rock was used to behead thousands of Vieste's population during an invasion of Turkish pirates led by Dragut Rais.