Lecce holidays

Holidays to Lecce take place in a limestone-built city on Italy’s history-stamped heel.

An Italian icon

Lecce’s in southern Italy, in the Puglia region. It’s famous for its wine-producing countryside, cute towns, and a cliff-hugging coastline. Despite its status as a city, things here are pretty compact and many of its must-sees sit side-by-side in the centre. If you fancy switching things up for a day at the beach, there are plenty of five-star-rated swathes to choose from along Italy’s south coast – your closest one’s around a 40-minute drive away.

The Florence of the South

Lecce’s been dubbed the Florence of the South, thanks to a list of Baroque-style buildings which are peppered along its streets and squares. The Piazza del Duomo takes the city’s centre spot and the biggest share of limestone-built buildings. The Basilica di Santa Croce is the star of the show – it’s intricately detailed exterior is decorated with carvings of cherubs, animal figures and mythical creatures, which are at their best when they’re lit up at night. Close by, an ancient amphitheatre takes centre stage at the Piazza Sant’Oronzo and gives a nod to the city’s Roman past.

An explorer’s base

It’s well worth hiring a car and exploring Puglia beyond the borders of Lecce. Heading north, the town of Alberobello is famous for its trulli houses – whitewashed stone huts with cone-shaped roofs. They can be spotted all over southern Italy, but Alberobello’s home to one of the biggest collections. It’s just over an hours’ drive from Lecce, but you can take a break in Bari – the region’s capital – en route. Or, set the sat nav south and follow the coastline to Otranto, home to a charming old quarter and a pair of pine-flanked lakes.