Ostuni is one of Puglia’s most beautiful cities, a tumble of white-washed buildings perched strategically atop a hill with views of the endless olive trees in the Valle d’Itria countryside, and the glimmering Adriatic Sea just 8 km away, home to some of the region’s most exclusive resorts.
The medieval walled city was built without a plan, and it shows. The web of streets is confusing, a maze of alleyways, staircases and arches. Buildings were built on top of each other, and the archways support the houses they connect, making up for the lack of strong foundations. You turn one way and find a dead end, another and get a glimpse of the sapphire sea. Puglia has seen a stream of invaders—Greeks, Romans, Goths, Byzantines, Normans—and the labyrinth of Ostuni is the perfect way to confuse the enemy.
The main street in Ostuni is lined with boutiques and souvenir shops selling local olive oil and Salentino sandals, but the best way to experience the town is by diving down the narrow side streets and like the invaders once did, getting lost.
You can browse the stalls of exotic fruits and vegetables and other food items like bulbous round cucumbers, fresh almonds in brine, dried figs, piles of walnuts, aromatic bunches of oregano, twin balls of caciocavallo cheese dangling from string, trays of snails, entire octopus, and mounds of vibrant red chiles, sweet and spicy, round, bell-shaped and long.
Some of the stalls offer home-made taralli, crunchy bread stick rings that are a typical local snack. They have them in all different flavours including fennel, chile, onion, pizza, and bacon. You can also try lupini, a yellow bean pickled in brine that you eat by piercing the skin with your teeth and pushing the bean into your mouth.
There are some farmhouses surrounding the countryside where you may use it as a base to explore the local markets, olive groves, coastline, and the many charming hilltop towns like Ostuni and Locorotondo.
It is suggested that you hire a car to take you to this place where you can explore all the stalls and also the architectural marvels of Ostuni. Driving along the roads of Italy to reach places of attraction as this one can be an awesome experience and Car Rental Italy provides car rentals at economical prices, especially for tourists. You can hire a set of wheels of your choice from a fleet they have on offer and what is more, you also get to choose between chauffeured and self driven cars to explore Italy to the core and capture the fragrance of Italy.