Why go
Brindisi is a city best understood from the sea. Its deep, sheltered harbour made it for centuries a point of departure towards the East, and the historic centre still bears the marks: the Roman Columns at the top of the Virgilian Steps, the seafront with its quays, the castles built to defend the harbour entrance. The national portal calls it the Gateway to the East and describes it as a blend of ancient Roman remains, traces of later rulers and modern spaces.
Many people only pass through, for a flight or a ferry. Yet it deserves a full day, because the municipality itself stresses the coexistence of old and new: Roman houses beneath a contemporary theatre, Romanesque churches a few steps from the shopping streets, a small round church linked to pilgrims bound for the Holy Land.
The centre is easy to explore on foot, and a short motorboat crossing takes you to the other side of the harbour to look at the city from the top of the Sailor's Monument. It is also a convenient base for the coast to the north, towards Torre Guaceto, and the villages of upper Salento.
Sources: Italia.it — Brindisi, le meraviglie della Porta d'Oriente · Brindisi — fonte istituzionale · Comune di Brindisi — Itinerari turistici
History
According to the municipality's historical notes, the city's story begins in the Messapian era, between the seventh-sixth and third centuries BC, when megalithic walls were built, stretches of which survive at Corte Capozziello and Via Camassa. A Latin colony from 244 BC, Brindisi grew as the terminus of the Via Appia and Via Appia Traiana: from that period come the Roman Columns, the remains in the San Pietro degli Schiavoni quarter and those of a house beneath Palazzo Granafei-Nervegna. One of the two columns collapsed in 1528.
Destroyed by the Lombards in the seventh century, the city revived under the Normans: the cathedral was built between 1089 and 1132, and between the eleventh and twelfth centuries San Giovanni al Sepolcro rose, regarded as the most faithful copy of the Anastasis in Jerusalem. Frederick II, who married Yolande of Brienne here in 1225, had the land castle built; Santa Maria del Casale, with its Last Judgement frescoes, dates from the fourteenth century.
After the fall of Otranto in 1480 the defences were strengthened: work on the Alfonsino Castle on the island of Sant'Andrea had already begun in 1445, and over the following centuries walls, gates and bastions were completed. The earthquake of 1743 forced the rebuilding of the cathedral and seminary.
Sources: Comune di Brindisi — storia della città · Comune di Brindisi — Castello Alfonsino-Aragonese
What to see
The route suggested by the municipality starts from the small square of the Roman Columns above the harbour and descends into the heart of the city. Piazza Duomo, the oldest square, brings together the cathedral, the Portico of the Knights Templar and the Francesco Ribezzo Archaeological Museum. The museum, founded in 1884, is arranged in six routes, including the epigraphic, statuary and numismatic sections, and above all the underwater exhibition with the Punta del Serrone Bronzes, found in 1992 two miles from the port and displayed with a large aquarium and a reconstructed ship's prow.
From the square you enter the San Pietro degli Schiavoni quarter, where the remains of Roman houses emerge beneath the Nuovo Teatro Verdi, and reach the small round church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro. Opposite the theatre, Palazzo Granafei-Nervegna keeps the original capital of the city's emblematic monument in its Column Room.
Along the seafront you pass the Virgilian Steps, the Faldetta Archaeological Collection and Palazzo Montenegro. The Alfonsino Castle, also called the Red Castle for the colour its tufa takes on at sunset, stands on an islet at the harbour mouth: according to the municipality it is closed for restoration, so for now it is admired from outside.
Sources: Comune di Brindisi — Itinerari turistici · Comune di Brindisi — Museo Ribezzo · Comune di Brindisi — Castello Alfonsino-Aragonese · Comune di Brindisi — storia della città
Food and wine
Brindisi's table brings together sea and countryside. The product most closely tied to the area is the Carciofo Brindisino PGI, an artichoke with a cylindrical head and green-violet outer bracts, grown in several towns of the province: it is planted in summer and harvested from November to May, and eighteenth-century recipe books kept in the seminaries of Otranto and Oria already record its use in cooking.
The wine bears the city's name: the Brindisi PDO, registered since 1981, covers only the towns of Brindisi and Mesagne and produces white, red, rosé and sparkling wines; the red is based mainly on Negroamaro, with Malvasia Nera di Brindisi or Susumaniello. On the hills to the north-west, towards Ostuni and Carovigno, comes the extra virgin olive oil of the Collina di Brindisi PDO, made mostly from Ogliarola Salentina.
The sea at Torre Guaceto provides two Slow Food Presidia: small-scale artisanal fishing in the marine protected area, carried out with boats only a few metres long under rules agreed with the managing body, and the fiaschetto tomato, a preserving landrace recovered in the reserve and grown with little brackish water. The national portal also mentions the seafront venues where Apulian specialities can be tasted.
Sources: Qualigeo — Carciofo Brindisino IGP · Qualigeo — Brindisi DOP · Qualigeo — Collina di Brindisi DOP · Fondazione Slow Food — Piccola pesca di Torre Guaceto · Fondazione Slow Food — Pomodoro fiaschetto di Torre Guaceto · Italia.it — Brindisi, le meraviglie della Porta d'Oriente
Things to do
The simplest and loveliest experience is the walk along the seafront, which the municipality offers as a route dedicated to the relationship between the city and its port: the quays, places to stop, the Virgilian Steps and finally the view from Piazza Santa Teresa. On the steps, the national portal notes, up to nine hundred people can sit during events and celebrations.
Public motorboat services cross the harbour to the Casale district, home to the Monument to the Italian Sailor, inaugurated in 1933: its terrace, reached by lift and a few steps, offers a view over the port and the whole city. Near the monument there is a long-standing playground, handy for families with children.
In the historic centre, the maze of San Pietro degli Schiavoni and a visit to the Ribezzo Museum combine well with an exhibition at Palazzo Granafei-Nervegna, which hosts them periodically. The three main shopping streets start from Piazza della Vittoria. Outside the city, the Torre Guaceto reserve is a chance to discover a marine protected area and the fishing carried out there under shared rules.
Sources: Comune di Brindisi — Itinerari turistici · Italia.it — Brindisi, le meraviglie della Porta d'Oriente · Fondazione Slow Food — Piccola pesca di Torre Guaceto
When to go
Brindisi can be visited all year round. The historic centre, museums and churches do not depend on the beach season, and the city keeps a life of its own in winter too, when the port and seafront remain the places where people meet.
Spring and autumn are the best times for long walks between Piazza Duomo, San Pietro degli Schiavoni and the seafront, and for combining the visit with a day in the countryside of upper Salento. In summer it is best to move around in the cooler hours and leave the middle of the day for the museum or the sea; sunset is when the Alfonsino Castle takes on the reddish hue that gave it its name.
At the table the season changes the menu: the Carciofo Brindisino is harvested from November to May, while the fiaschetto tomato of Torre Guaceto arrives from the second half of June and lasts all summer. The Virgilian Steps often become the stage for city events and celebrations: the calendar is available in the events section of the municipal website.
Sources: Comune di Brindisi — Itinerari turistici · Comune di Brindisi — Castello Alfonsino-Aragonese · Qualigeo — Carciofo Brindisino IGP · Fondazione Slow Food — Pomodoro fiaschetto di Torre Guaceto · Italia.it — Brindisi, le meraviglie della Porta d'Oriente
Getting there and around
Brindisi airport, run by Aeroporti di Puglia, is the reference airport for those arriving by air: the official website lists bus, taxi, car and bike hire connections to the city and the wider area in its dedicated section. If you fly out from here, it is worth keeping at least a few hours for the city before the flight.
The railway station, run by RFI, is served by the national rail network and has five passenger tracks, an assistance service for people with disabilities and reduced mobility with the Sala Blu based in Bari, parking with reserved spaces and audio and visual information systems.
In town the historic centre is walked, from the station towards Piazza della Vittoria, Piazza Duomo and the seafront. To reach the opposite side of the harbour, the Casale district and the Sailor's Monument, both the municipality and the national portal point to the public motorboat service. For the Torre Guaceto reserve and the inland villages a car or an organised service is the practical choice.
Sources: Aeroporti di Puglia — Aeroporto di Brindisi · Aeroporti di Puglia — Aeroporto di Brindisi, collegamenti bus · RFI — Stazione di Brindisi · Comune di Brindisi — Itinerari turistici · Italia.it — Brindisi, le meraviglie della Porta d'Oriente
Nearby
North of the city the coast leads to the Torre Guaceto nature reserve and marine protected area, near Carovigno. It is a place where nature and work meet: the Slow Food Foundation follows the small-scale artisanal fishing there, allowed only in one of the protected area's three zones, and the organic cultivation of the fiaschetto tomato. Archaeological finds show that fishing took place here as early as the Bronze Age.
Inland you climb into the olive hills of the Collina di Brindisi PDO, which include Ostuni, Carovigno, Ceglie Messapica, Cisternino, Fasano, San Michele Salentino, San Vito dei Normanni and Villa Castelli: a landscape of olive groves and white towns well suited to a country day after a city one. Ostuni in particular is among the closest destinations.
Staying with wine, Mesagne shares with Brindisi the PDO that bears the city's name. To the south you reach Lecce and from there Otranto: Brindisi can therefore open or close a journey through Salento.
Sources: Fondazione Slow Food — Piccola pesca di Torre Guaceto · Fondazione Slow Food — Pomodoro fiaschetto di Torre Guaceto · Qualigeo — Collina di Brindisi DOP · Qualigeo — Brindisi DOP · RFI — Stazione di Brindisi
Where to stay
In the municipality of Brindisi the national database of the Ministry of Tourism lists 553 accommodation businesses with a verified CIN code: 14 hotels, 117 other licensed accommodation and 422 other types such as B&Bs and private rentals.
Licensed businesses from the official list of Regione Puglia, each with a checked national CIN code: matching municipality and category. Private individuals are not listed. Check directly with the property before booking.
AFFITTACAMERE " IL PORTO "
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400060596
AGORA' CONNECT SPACE
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400096927
ALLE VOLTE
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400099873
ALMA GRANDE
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400126911
Al centro di Altobello Stefania
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400067645
Alivi Indipendent Apartment
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400108950
Brin Brin House
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400124748
CAIROLI ROOM AND SUITE
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400031595
Camelia Apartment
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400109808
DIMORA CAPPELLINI
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400048848
DIMORA RISVEGLIO
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400052243
DIONISO
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400032166
Dedè Apartment
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400109825
Dimora Martinez
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400097309
Dimora Nettare
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400067440
Domus ASTRA
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400070122
Filia Solis - OLD TOWN SUITEs & SPA
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400070123
HOUSE OF POPPIES
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400092095
HT Room spa & Suite
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400118838
IL CIVICO STORICO
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400110661
IL TRULLO MODERN ROOM
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400049686
INDIPENDENCE HOME
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400096928
L'ANTICA DIMORA
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400021768
LA LOCANDA APARTMENT
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400111218
La Maison de Monet
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400101535
Mammarusina
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400093564
Palazzo Bellocchi | Suites & Apartments
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400069133
Porta del Salento
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400124073
RIDÀ LUXURY HOUSE
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400108954
TOI Apartments
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400103504
Terrazza Giulia
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400108011
VILLA ANNA
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400070841
VILLA MAGNOLIA
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400123712
Villa Tati
Guest rooms · Website
CIN IT074001B400127456
Zephir Apartments
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400070124
Zephir Gallo
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400126138
Zephir Green
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400114956
la sorgente
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400070911
santo stefano luxury rooms
Guest rooms
CIN IT074001B400104994
MASSERIA BARONI NUOVI
Farm stay
CIN IT074001B500021752
MASSERIA INCANTALUPI
Farm stay · Website
CIN IT074001B500062232
MASSERIA MASCAVA
Farm stay · Website
CIN IT074001B500120845
TENUTA MAZZETTA
Farm stay
CIN IT074001B500024140
ALEKSANDR
B&B
CIN IT074001B400022743
B&B ALIS HOME
B&B
CIN IT074001B400064890
B&B BRINDESI
B&B
CIN IT074001B400101695
B&B LA POSADA
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400077913
BACCARO'S HOME B&B
B&B
CIN IT074001B400087292
CASA DI LEO
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400126965
Casa di Leo
B&B
CIN IT074001B400099338
Flowing House
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400100567
LA DIMORA DI CESARE BRAICO
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400104277
LE COLONNE
B&B
CIN IT074001B400023427
La casa di Eva
B&B
CIN IT074001B400068204
MANZONI RESORT
B&B
CIN IT074001B400021641
MARIA VITTORIA
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400024135
MARIS TERRA B&B DI CERASINO SALVATORE
B&B
CIN IT074001B400115542
MATER BED AND FOOD
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400022946
PALAZZO PINTO
B&B · Website
CIN IT074001B400055036
PENTHOUSE STATION
B&B
CIN IT074001B400024154
RESIDENCE LORI
B&B
CIN IT074001B400051833
Comfort House
Holiday home · Website
CIN IT074001B400123997
DIMORA MESSAPIA
Holiday home
CIN IT074001B400108982
DRIL HOST
Holiday home · Website
CIN IT074001B400118332
LOFT 46
Holiday home
CIN IT074001B400108983
MAISON 57
Holiday home
CIN IT074001B400108984
MARIA VITTORIA APARTMENTS
Holiday home · Website
CIN IT074001B400069362
Nonna concetta di Parisi Sonia
Holiday home
CIN IT074001B400127336
Perla del Salento
Holiday home
CIN IT074001B400110740
vento di mare
Holiday home
CIN IT074001B400126577
BARSOTTI
Hotel · ★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100020760
EXECUTIVE INN
Hotel · ★★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100024093
HOTEL ORIENTALE
Hotel · ★★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100020758
HOTEL TORINO
Hotel · ★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100076111
Hotel Bastione
Hotel · ★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100111680
IBIS STYLES
Hotel · ★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100027196
INTERNAZIONALE
Hotel · ★★★★
CIN IT074001A100020778
L'APPRODO
Hotel · ★★★
CIN IT074001A100022000
MASSERIA MARZIALE
Hotel · ★★★★
CIN IT074001A100020619
MASSERIA VACCARO
Hotel · ★★★ · Website
CIN IT074001A100099606
MINERVA
Hotel · ★★★
CIN IT074001A100020774
NETTUNO HOTEL
Hotel · ★★★★
CIN IT074001A100021282
PALAZZO VIRGILIO
Hotel · ★★★★
CIN IT074001A100022088
Ostello della Gioventù
Hostel · Website
CIN IT074001B600091046
ALEKSANDR
Residence
CIN IT074001B400022960
Sources: Regione Puglia – ARET Pugliapromozione (DMS), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-12 · Ministero del Turismo – Banca Dati Strutture Ricettive (dashboard pubblica), 2026-10-12
YOUR JOURNEY
How to shape a journey here
Brindisi deserves time before or after an arrival rather than serving only as a transit point. Alternate the waterfront with the smaller streets of the centre.
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