Nearby
Attractions nearby:
Shops, bars & restaurants in Mesagne, 5 minutes
Lecce 45km
Ostuni 30km
Torre Guaceto (beach, Adriatic) 25 km
Campomarino (beach, Ionian) 40 km
Savelletri (golf) 65 km
Alberobello 65 km
Grottaglie 35 km
Otranto 98 km
Martina Franca 53 km
Brinidisi 15km
Oria 20 km
Gallipoli 85 km
Porto Selvaggio 60 km
Manduria 30 km
Castellana Grotte 90 km
Matera 125 km
Two “must see” cities to visit are Lecce and Ostuni, each is within 45 minutes of Pizzorusso. Lecce has been called “the Florence of the South.” It is probably the most important city in the region, with a population of 100,000 and some dramatic baroque architecture. Lecce is a major tourist attraction with great public squares, two Roman amphitheatres, great traditional food and restaurants, and many cultural offerings in the summer. Ostuni is a ”white city” perched on a hill overlooking the countryside and the Adriatic, a few kilometers away. Narrow winding streets and a bustling nightlife are just part of this Greek influenced city’s charms.
Other gems are: Alberobello (55 minutes away) — which has the greatest concentration of “trulli”, the conical shaped homes and structures that are indigenous to Puglia; Grottaglie (30 minutes away) — the ceramics center of Puglia; Martina Franca (50 minutes away) — site of the premiere summer classical music festival in the south, the Festival della Valle d’Itria; Castellana Grotte (60 minutes) — perhaps Europe’s most dramatic underground caves; and Otranto (70 minutes) — the cathedral at this picturesque seaside city has one of the oldest and most unusual mosaic floors in Italy, as well as the eerie shrine of the skulls of 600 martyrs who were decapitated here by invading Turks.
Among the many choices of beaches, these are two great ones: Torre Guaceto — a beautiful protected marine reserve on the Adriatic Ocean with white sand beaches, a snack bar, and chaise lounges for rent (25 minute drive); and the dunes of Campomarino — a local treasure on the Ionian Sea with limpid, crystalline water for swimming (50 minute drive).
In and around Villa Pizzorusso — all within a one hour radius: beaches, trulli, tennis, taralli, archeological ruins, zoo, cucina povera, fresh ricotta, butchers, bakeries, farmers markets, caves, grottos, baroque cities, fresh eggs, opera, ancient olive trees, wine, wineries, olive oil, olives, churches, cathedrals, medieval castles, watermelons, figs, peaches, chicory, bread, sea urchins, octopus, spigola, orata, orecchiette, food festivals, roman amphitheatres, fireworks, gelato, Italian lessons, pizza, pasticciotto, ceramics, music festivals, ferry to greece, bike tours, shopping, cherries, peaches, tomatoes, coffee, granita, chocolate, friselle, cavatelli, primitivo, airport, golf.