Castle & Palace Tours

Discover the history of one of the most fascinating castles in Italy, the Castel del Monte, which was built in the 13th century and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1966. Learn more about the castle from your guide and hear about the many theories surrounding its origin. Enjoy a walk around the walls to watch the sunset and admire the surrounding landscape of olive groves and coastline. Later, enter the interior of the castle to discover its architecture and history. You will also hear the story of Emperor Frederick II, a charismatic and important historical figure for Southern Italy.

Discover the most significant medieval monument in southern Italy on a 1-hour guided tour of Castel del Monte. Situated in Andria in the Puglia region, the citadel and castle is a national treasure and beauty to behold. Built on top of a hill with commanding views of the Puglia region, Castel del Monte is the most important building built by the Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen of Swabia. Explore the monument’s myths and legends, including the meaning of the number 8. After years of neglect, when the castle was stripped of its furniture and marble decorations to become a refuge for shepherds, brigands and political refugees, Castel del Monte was bought and restored by the Italian state in 1876. Almost a century later, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the perfection of its shape and harmonious union of cultural elements from northern Europe, the Islamic world, and classical antiquity. Explore the castle’s façades and interior, and learn the historical context in which it was built.

Enjoy the historic port town of Trani and UNESCO-listed Castel del Monte in one day. Explore 2 of Puglia's most alluring sights with a convenient transfer from Matera via a comfortable minivan. Tuck into an Apulian lunch at a local farmhouse. Meet your driver in the center of Matera and leave for imperial Apulia. After an hour-long drive, arrive in Trani, the "Pearl of the Adriatic Sea". Catch beautiful views over the Adriatic Sea and the Italian coast. Be led by your local tour guide to Trani Castle and the seafront Cathedral. Visit the ancient Jewish quarter with its Synagogues and a maze of small alleyways. After the walking tour, hop on board the minivan to continue to a typical farmhouse in the Alta Murgia National Park. Taste the Apulian cuisine during a delicious light lunch. In the afternoon, reach the UNESCO site of Castel del Monte. Admire enchanting views from over 500 meters. Observe the beautiful park that surrounds you from above. On clear days, you can see the sea and the Gargano, a spectacle of nature. Learn about this emblematic octagonal castle, designed by Emperor Frederick II. Walk through the rooms inside the castle and discover the many mysteries and secrets that lie within its walls. Conclude the tour with a return transfer to Matera.

The day trip begins at 9.30 am at Trani where you will meet the guide. Trani is located north of Bari and is easily accessible by train and car. With a comfortable transfer you will leave towards the Alta Murgia National Park, where you will reach a Masseria, a typical farmhouse of the area and here you will taste the flavors of the delicious local cuisine and you will have the opportunity to meet the welcoming locals. At the end of the tasting we will leave again in the nearby Castel del Monte for an external visit with the tour guide to discover the architecture and history of this magnificent octagonal castle, a UNESCO site. Return to Trani at 2 PM PROGRAM: 9.30 am meeting with driver and guide 10.30 am guided tour Castel del monte 12.00 pm transfer to the farmhouse for the tasting 2.00 pm return in Trani

Go on a journey through the history of Puglia on a 1.5-hour guided tour of Castel del Monte in the hills of Andria and discover a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meet your guide at the castle entrance, 36 miles (60 kilometers) from Bari. Explore the castle grounds and walk around the outside of the mountain fortress while your guide describes its history. It was first recorded as the Castellum Del Monte in 1223, and built by the humanist Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. A unique piece of medieval military architecture, Frederick imbued the castle with symbolic significance, defined by the laws of math and astronomy. Soaring 1,770 feet (540 meters) above sea level, in the heart of the Alta Murgia National Park, you will get panoramic views of the surrounding area, from the Gargano promontory up to the ancient province of Lucania. Discover impressive structural elements that follow the repetition of the number 8, from the castle’s basic octagonal shape, to the 8 trapezoid rooms, 8 towers, and 44 steps of the spiral stairs. Admire the harmonious blend of Romanesque and Gothic influences, together with important contributions from Islamic art.

Discover Barletta, famous for the Challenge that occurred between 13 Italian knights and 13 French knights in 1503. Begin with a visit to the medieval castle of the eleventh century, founded by the Normans and expanded by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. Among the sculptures preserved in the castle, you can visit the bust of Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen of Swabia limestone, dating from the thirteenth century. Go on to visit the historic "Winery of the Challenge", historically known as the "House of Poison" for the challenge famous challenge that was launched there. After the winery, discover the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore of the twelfth century, the most important church in Barletta. The cathedral is divided into two parts, the front being a typically Romanesque architectural style of the twelfth century, while the back part is of Gothic architectural style of the fourteenth century. The tour will end outside the baroque palace "Della Marra", with paintings by Giuseppe De Nittis and the visit of the bronze giant named Heraclius next to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.

The guided tour will start from the Archaeological Park where you can visit the thermal baths, the domus, S.S. Trinity and the amphitheater. Inside the baths you can visit the changing room, the mosaic paved frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium heated by the ovens. Not far away there are two domes from the second century BC which are composed of five rooms with a central basin useful for collecting rainwater. Later you will visit the amphitheater and the S.S. Trinity, the fifth-century church and the Abbatial Palace with its monastery. Then visit the unfinished church which was designed to contain a larger number of faithful and was started in the mid-1100s but never finished. Visit the 16th-century Aragonese castle Pirro del Balzo, a majestic, square-plan building with four cylindrical towers surrounded by a deep moat. Inside there is the national archaeological museum that contains Roman antiquities. The guided tour ends with the external visit of the so-called house of Horace, dating back to the second century BC.

Feel like a local and explore Andria's top highlights, such as the Castel del Monte — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and hidden spots on a 3-hour guided tour riding a bike or an e-bike. Ride in class and comfort on a bike, which is perfect for discovering various parts of the rural region.  See the Alta Murgia National Park differently and feel like a local as you cruise through its oak woods and expanses of pseudo steppe, uninterrupted by daily routines. You will look very Instagram worthy on your bikes. Visit many famous sights like the Castel del Monte octagonal castle, and discover typical local architecture marvels that are not on the front pages of tourist magazines.