Bari

Bari is the largest and most important city of Apulia and stands on the Adriatic coast. It's mainly famous for being one of the exit doors of Italy, where travellers leave on ferries for neighbouring countries. The city authorities, however, have been trying to raise its tourism profile and awareness of Bari's old town, which has retained its ancient Medieval plan and contains many historic buildings and sites. The old town was the heart of pre-Roman and Roman Bari, and it is now possible to find several hip bars and restaurants open "from dusk till dawn" in this once dark and unsafe zone. The city had strong Greek influences and, once it passed under Roman rule in the 3rd century BC, it acquired strategic significance as the junction between the coastal road and the Via Traiana and as a port for eastward trade; a branch road to Tarentum led from Barium.