Page 99 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

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ART AND CULTURE

The famous trulli of Alberobello, curious structures with rounded
conical roofs found in Puglia
The 686-step grand staircase of Lamego’s Nossa Senhora dos
Remédios decorated with azulejo tiles Puglia, Italy
The Romanesque nave of the Basilica of Vézelay with sunlight spilling
through the tall windows The Douro NEED TO KNOW
Burgundy, Valley, Portugal LOCATION Puglia stretches "ESJBUJD
along the Adriatic coast to the tip
France of Italy. Its main cities are Bari, 3PNF 4FB
Brindisi, and Lecce
NEED TO KNOW
AREA 7,470 sq miles *5"-: #BSJ #SJOEJTJ
(19,420 sq km) 16(-*"
LOCATION The valley runs across -FDDF
NEED TO KNOW northern Portugal to Porto. The main %0630 DAYTIME (BMMJQPMJ
7"--&: 5ZSSIFOJBO
towns are Amarante, Peso da Régua, 1PSUP TEMPERATURES 4FB
LOCATION Burgundy is a -JMMF CFMHJVN and Porto 1FTP EB 3ÏHVB Jan: 48°F (9°C); Apr: 57°F *POJBO
region in eastern France. Its "UMBOUJD $PJNCSB (14°C); Jul: 79°F (26°C); 4FB
AREA 1,600 sq miles 1BMFSNP
main towns are Dijon, Châlons- (4,160 sq km) 0DFBO Oct: 64°F (18°C)
sur-Saone, and Auxerre 1BSJT 4USBTCPVSH 10356("- 41"*/
AREA 12,240 sq miles "VYFSSF HFSNBOZ DAYTIME -JTCPO
TEMPERATURES
(31,700 sq km) %JKPO
#63(6/%: TXJU[FSMBOE Jan: 48°F (9°C); Apr: 57°F Along the back of Italy’s famous “heel,” which juts
DAYTIME $IÉMPOT (14°C); Jul: 68°F (20°C);
TEMPERATURES '3"/$& TVS 4BPOF Oct: 59°F (15°C) 'BSP out into the Adriatic Sea, stretches a line of Puglia’s
Jan: 36°F (2°C); remarkable Romanesque churches, gazing out to
Apr: 52°F (11°C); -ZPO *5"-:
Jul: 70°F (21°C); Oct: 52°F (11°C) sea from Trani, Molfetta, and Bari. Farther south is
As you leave the harsh lands of the Upper Douro the village of Alberobello with its astonishing
Valley, the curves of the river valley soften, and trulli – conical structures made using a prehistoric
The vineyards of Burgundy, nestled against the the sunburnt Port grapes give way to white Vinho building technique, and Brindisi, an ancient
strong, straight ridge of the Côte d’Or, give the Verdes and the cap-doffing majesty of the red Roman port joined to the imperial capital by the
region its fame. But far from the traditional touring Barca Velha. Just out of sight of the river valley, 350-mile (580-km) Appia Antica. But don’t stop
routes lie the most beguiling landscapes in France. a cluster of Visigothic churches and ghost-like here, or you will miss Europe’s most spectacular
In the Middle Ages, the Court of Dijon was Cistercian monasteries still populate the hills. city, Lecce (see p323). Inside its medieval walls, a
Europe’s wealthiest, and artists such as Roger van The Douro bears ever westwards, passing near hundred overwrought facades shine against
der Weyden traveled from the Low Countries to Lamego with its monumental Baroque staircase, azure skies. Farther south, and beyond the barren
paint for the dukes. But Burgundy’s real soul lies then Amarante, dominated by the monastery Salentine peninsula flanked by a bleached-white
in its monasteries – Cluny, Montigny, and Citeaux, and church of São Gonçalo, before finally flowing coast, are the town of Otranto, with its famous
and, towering above them, the Basilica of Vézelay, into the Atlantic beneath the city of Porto. mosaics, and the golden fortress of Gallipoli.
the last great survivor of western monasticism.

Practical Information Practical Information
Practical Information Getting There and Around Porto, at the mouth of the Douro Valley, has a Getting There and Around Puglia has two international airports, at Bari
Getting There and Around Burgundy lies on the main autoroute and large international airport. Trains also run regularly from Lisbon and Madrid. and Brindisi. Brindisi is also the main passenger ferry point for arrivals from
railway routes between Paris and Lyon. Dijon has a small international Along the river, there are boat cruises and the Linha do Douro train. the eastern Mediterranean.
airport, but private transportation is required in much of the countryside. When to Go Winters can be wet, though the rainfall reduces dramatically When to Go Winters are mild in Puglia, but the vibrant colors of spring
When to Go In spite of the long, cold winters, Burgundy is a pleasure to away from the Atlantic coast. Summer becomes increasingly brutal the make this the best time to visit. Summers are long, hot, and crowded,
visit right through the year, summer’s warmth lasting until October. further east you travel. Spring is the best time to visit. and by fall the color has been all but drained from the land.
Website www.burgundy-tourism.com Website www.visitportugal.com Website www.italyheaven.co.uk/puglia

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