Italy, although it has no borders with Bulgaria, is not far from it, and many vacationers in the Bulgarian resorts would certainly like to visit this country. Unfortunately, there are no excursions from Bulgaria to Italy from the Black Sea coast. Those who wish can independently go on such a trip by car through Serbia, or through Greece: from the Greek port of Igoumenitsa by ferry to the Italian port of Bari. But it will take a lot of time: the road from Varna to Venice takes about 28 hours. The ferry between Igoumenitsa and Bari runs almost all night. The fastest way to reach Italy is by plane. There are regular flights from the airports of Varna, Burgas, Sofia to different cities of this country.
Recently, tour operators have been organizing one-day air excursions from Thessaloniki to the Italian city of Bari. The tour is geared towards Russian pilgrims wishing to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and is accompanied by a Russian-speaking guide. Such excursions will also attract Russian citizens having a rest on the Bulgarian coast. The flight from Thessaloniki to Bari takes an hour and a half, and you can get to Thessaloniki from Sofia by train or car. The distance between these cities is just over 300 km. You can also get to Thessaloniki from Varna and Burgas both by land and by air.
Bari
In Bari, during the excursion, pilgrims will have the opportunity to venerate the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, which has been resting since 1087 in the ancient Basilica of St. Nicholas, and take part in a solemn liturgy in his honor.
The program also includes a visit to the Orthodox St. Nicholas Church in the Russian courtyard.
In the afternoon, before returning to Thessaloniki, you can have a pleasant time in noisy and cheerful pizzerias, sipping a glass of light Italian wine of local cuisine from seafood, vegetables and cheeses, be sure to try the yellow-brown bread, the baking secret of which few people know. And, of course, take a walk through the narrow streets of the old city, where sights are found at every turn.
Bari, the capital of Puglia and one of the largest seaports in Italy, is a very famous and ancient city. It is known that as early as 181 BC. there was already a fishing settlement. Trajan's road passed through Bari, which contributed to the prosperity of the city. Here Peter the Hermit preached - the inspirer of the first crusade to the Holy Land. Here Pope Urban II in 1098 at the Council unsuccessfully tried to resolve the contradictions between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. At different times the city belonged to the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Byzantines. In Bari worth seeing
- Church of St. Sabina, XII century
- Bari Castle XII century
- Friedrich Hohenstaufen Castle, 13th century
- Theater Petruzzelli
- Theater Piccini
Those who do not want to fly away from Bari and circumstances will allow them to stay in these parts for a day or two should visit the fabulous town of Alberobello. Its amazing houses - trulli, "gnome houses", snow-white, with cone-shaped roofs, decorated with stars and painted zodiac signs, are nowhere else in the world to be seen. Some trulls were built in the 14th century. You can just walk around this city, looking into souvenir shops and cafes located in the same trullah.
Matera
Also not far from Bari is Matera - the most unusual city in Italy. It has preserved the rocky settlement of Sassi de Matera - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Sassi settlement grew up on the slope of the La Gravina Gorge. The dwellings were carved into limestone, and beneath them are underground caves and labyrinths. Among the many rock-cut churches, each one is unique. A must-see
- Complex of cave churches Convicinio di Sant Antonio
- Monterrone rock outcrop
- Church of Santa Barbara
- Domenico Ridola National Museum
- Lanfranci Palace
It is difficult to see the whole of Italy during a short excursion, but this small piece of Puglia has collected so many unusual things in itself that it will forever leave in the soul the expectation of meeting in this country with something even more amazing.
