Castel del Monte is the most enigmatic building of all the castles and fortresses that Frederick II, the Staufer, had built along a defensive line in Basilicata, but especially in Puglia, around 1240. Comparisons are always made to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The octagonal, the presence of the numbers eight, five and three within the architectural concept allows connections to astrology and number mysticism. In addition, Castel del Monte is said to be located exactly in the geographical center between the Cheops Pyramid and Chartres Cathedral, and would fit right in with the Cheops Pyramid. What messages does the building hide? What purpose was it intended to serve? In 1656, the Carafa, an important noble family, fled from the plague to the castle for half a year. After that it fell into disrepair, was plundered and served as a shelter for shepherds. In 1876 the Italian state bought the Castel and had it restored in 1928. It has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1996 and has graced the reverse of the Italian 1 cent coin since the introduction of the euro in 2002.

South of Castel del Monte rises a plateau built up by Cretaceous limestones - the Murgia Alta (pointed rock). It was formed 130 million years ago and is one of the oldest cultural landscapes in Europe. The last dinosaurs left their traces here and near Altamura, in 1993, the 200,000 year old, completely preserved skeleton of an adult male was found - the "Uomo di Altamura". He is considered the link between Homo erectus and Neanderthal man. Ancient Roman roads, such as the famous Via Appia, connected Murgia with the rest of the world. Well known are the "tratturi" - centuries-old pasture paths for cattle that cross this plateau like roads. Equally well known are the masseria, stately homesteads of large landowners. They usually consist of a large dwelling house, chapel, storerooms, stables and a dovecote. Fifty years ago, many were converted for tourism. They have similar significance for Puglia as the paradores in Spain or the pousadas in Portugal.
In spring and autumn, the plateau is transformed into an indescribable sea of flowers. More than 90 rare bird species nesting here can be observed. Gourmets appreciate the "lampascioni", pickled tubers of the Träubelhyazinthe. The Murcia enriches the menu with wild vegetables, the meat of free-ranging animals, good cheese, wheat for pasta and bread and the Cardoncelli mushrooms collected in the autumn. Since 2004, the area has been protected as a nature reserve.

Matera is one of the most interesting, unusual and memorable tourist destinations in Italy. It is a town famous for its extensive cave-dwelling districts, the sassi. The caves of Matera had been inhabited for centuries and until the 1950s hundreds of families were still living crowded into cave-houses here, together with their animals and without running water. The living conditions became a national scandal and finally the cave residents were moved - by law - to modern buildings on the plateau above. In 1993 the town was made an UNESCO World Heritage site, for being "the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem". And ever since, Matera has become steadily more popular as an off-the-beaten-track tourist destination. More and more old cave-houses are being converted into comfortable modern dwellings, into hotels, B&Bs and restaurants. You can take guided tours of the sassi and visit historic reconstructions of cave life.

Puglia is famous for its trullis and nowhere there are more than in Alberobello, namely more than 1000 trullis spread over the two old town quarters. What is a trulli? Why were they constructed this way? It was between 1600 and 1665. The Earl of the area at the time - Gian Girolamo II - charged taxes on permanent walled settlements. In order to avoid these taxes, the clever peasants built their houses only in stone, without cement or mortar. This way, in case of a royal inspection, they could easily dismantle the stone houses and easily rebuild them later. It was very labor intensive, but it saved a lot of money. The interstices of the trullis, filled with straw and earth, perfectly insulated the summer heat and winter cold. True skill was shown by the builders in the construction of the cone-shaped roof. In the past, magic signs were painted on the natural gray stone roof with lime paint. Even though today the meaning of many symbols is forgotten, they are refreshed every year as a tradition.

All white, sweating under the sun, Gallipoli lies like a ship of stone on a flat limestone island in the Ionian Sea. It experienced its heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lamp oil pressed from olives, which enjoyed a lively demand on international markets, made the city rich. In exchange, luxury goods from all over the world came to Gallipoli, and large trading companies moved their headquarters here. The wealth seemed inexhaustible. But, as always, the only certain thing is change. With the competition of cheap petroleum, Gallipoli lost its monopoly position at the beginning of the 19th century.

The history of Otranto is long, bloody and eventful. It was founded by the Greeks in the 7th century. Through the extension of the Via Appia it developed into an important transshipment point in the Mediterranean and became the port of the Crusades. Goods and ideas from the Orient reached the Occident. Everyone was here and wanted to rule: the Greeks, the Normans, the Venetians, the Turks. In 1480, with the support of the Venetians, there was a devastating Turkish invasion of Otranto. The immense fortifications and coastal defences can still be seen today. A year later the city was reconquered, but the creeping economic decline could not be stopped.

Puglia's southernmost provincial metropolis, the pearl of Apulian Baroque, takes its visitors by storm. The secret of the baroque wealth of forms lies in the pietra leccese, the limestone of Lecce. It is quarried in open-cast mines and is light-colored and fine-grained. Fresh from the quarry, it can be worked with a knife like butter. In the air it hardens slowly, taking on a golden yellow tone. Such a material set no limits to the imagination of stonemasons and architects. Free of traffic, the elegant centro storico invites visitors to take extended strolls. During the day, the golden-yellow limestone facades glow in the sun; in the evening, spotlights bathe them in an enchanting stage light. 30 churches and countless palazzi shine in baroque splendor. All important monuments are provided with bilingual information boards.