Brindisi rewards travellers who look beyond the ferry terminal. This Adriatic port city packs two millennia of history into its compact centro storico, from the Roman column that marked the end of the Via Appia to the Swabian Castle built by Frederick II. You can walk between all major sights in half a day, then spend the afternoon at a beach club north of the city or sampling Apulian seafood in a waterfront trattoria. Brindisi also makes an excellent base for day trips to Lecce (40 km), Ostuni (35 km), and the UNESCO-listed trulli of Alberobello (65 km).
Things to Do in Brindisi: Historic Sights
Roman Column (Colonna Terminale della Via Appia)
At the top of the Scalinata Virgilio staircase overlooking the inner harbour stands one of Brindisi’s two original Roman columns that marked the end of the Appian Way (Via Appia) from Rome. Only one remains intact; the other was donated to Lecce in the 17th century. The surviving 18.7-metre column is made of Proconnesian marble with an ornate Corinthian capital. It is free to view at any time from the waterfront promenade, and sunset here with the harbour and column silhouetted is the city’s most photographed scene. The staircase itself dates from the 1930s and carries a quote from Virgil’s Aeneid. For more detail, see our Brindisi weather by month. For more detail, see our Brindisi neighborhoods.
Castello Svevo (Swabian Castle)
Frederick II’s 13th-century castle dominates the inner harbour. Built in 1227 using local carparo stone, the trapezoidal fortress was expanded under the Aragonese in the 15th century and later used as a prison and naval base. It is still partly occupied by the Italian Navy, which limits public access; you can visit the courtyard and some halls on guided tours booked through the Brindisi tourist office on Via Duomo (about 5 EUR). Even from the outside, the massive walls and corner towers facing the sea are impressive. The castle is illuminated at night.
Cattedrale di Brindisi (Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista)
Brindisi’s cathedral on Piazza Duomo dates from the 11th century but was largely rebuilt after the 1743 earthquake collapsed the original Romanesque structure. The current Baroque-Neoclassical interior houses the relics of San Teodoro, Brindisi’s patron saint, in a silver bust. The 12th-century mosaic floor fragments near the altar survived the earthquake and show Byzantine-influenced geometric patterns. Entry is free. The cathedral is open daily from 8am to 12pm and 4pm to 7pm, though afternoon hours may vary.
San Giovanni al Sepolcro
This circular 11th-century church on Via San Giovanni al Sepolcro was built by returning Crusaders and modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The interior holds faded but significant 13th-century frescoes depicting saints and biblical scenes. The Norman portal features carved lions and griffins. Entry costs 3 EUR (combined ticket with the Diocesan Museum for 5 EUR). Opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 9am to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm. Closed Mondays.
Museo Archeologico Provinciale Ribezzo
Housed in an 18th-century palace on Piazza Duomo, the Ribezzo Archaeological Museum holds one of Apulia’s best collections of Messapian, Greek, and Roman artefacts excavated from the Brindisi area. The standout pieces are the 3,000+ bronze statues and votive offerings from the Hellenistic period (3rd-2nd century BCE) found underwater near the port. You will also see Attic and Apulian red-figure pottery, Roman glassware, and a reconstructed Messapian tomb. Entry is 5 EUR (free on the first Sunday of each month). Open Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm.
Things to Do in Brindisi: Outdoor and Waterfront
Lungomare Regina Margherita
Brindisi’s palm-lined waterfront promenade runs for about 2 km from the port to the Monumento al Marinaio d’Italia. The evening passeggiata (stroll) here is the city’s main social ritual; locals walk, chat, and stop for gelato between 6pm and 8pm, especially on weekends. Benches face the outer harbour and the Adriatic beyond. The promenade is flat, paved, and wheelchair-accessible. Several bars and gelaterie line the route, with Gelateria Naturale (Via Regina Margherita 28) being a local favourite for artisanal gelato (2.50 EUR for two scoops). For more detail, see our best time to visit Brindisi. For more detail, see our where to stay in Brindisi.
Monumento al Marinaio d’Italia (Sailor’s Monument)
This 53-metre limestone monument shaped like a ship’s rudder stands at the northern end of the Lungomare. Built in 1933 to honour Italian sailors who died in WWI, it offers a panoramic view of Brindisi’s two harbours, the Adriatic coastline, and on clear days the mountains of Albania (about 130 km across the sea). A lift takes you to the observation deck at 45 metres. Entry is free but hours are limited; typically 9am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm, closed Mondays. Check at the tourist office before heading there as the lift sometimes closes for maintenance.
Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve
This 1,200-hectare marine and coastal reserve lies 20 km north of Brindisi (about 25 minutes by car, or take the STP Brindisi bus to Serranova from Via Cristoforo Colombo). The reserve protects 8 km of sandy beach, Mediterranean maquis scrubland, and a 16th-century Aragonese watchtower. Swimming is permitted only in designated zones to protect the Posidonia seagrass beds. Snorkelling is excellent in the shallow rocky areas. The visitor centre (open April-October) rents bikes for 5 EUR per day for the coastal trails. Entry to the reserve is free, but in July and August you must book beach access online at torreguaceto.it; daily visitor numbers are capped at 500. No bars or restaurants inside the reserve, so bring water and food.
Things to Do in Brindisi: Day Trips
Lecce (40 km, 30 min by train)
Lecce is the Baroque masterpiece of southern Italy. Trains from Brindisi Centrale run roughly hourly, take 25-30 minutes, and cost 2.80 EUR one way on the Regionale service. You can see Lecce highlights in a day: the Basilica di Santa Croce (9 EUR, open 9am-6pm), Piazza del Duomo (free), the Roman amphitheatre in Piazza Sant’Oronzo (free to view from street level, 3 EUR to enter), and the Museo Faggiano (5 EUR, a private house that revealed 2,000 years of archaeology during a plumbing repair). Lecce’s paper-mache artisan workshops (cartapesta) on Via Vittorio Emanuele II sell handcrafted nativity figures and religious statues, a local craft tradition dating to the 17th century. For more detail, see our Brindisi events and festivals. For more detail, see our Brindisi travel tips.
Ostuni (35 km, 40 min by train)
Ostuni, the White City (Città Bianca), is a hillside town of whitewashed houses 35 km northwest of Brindisi. Trains from Brindisi Centrale take about 35 minutes (2.60 EUR). The centro storico is a maze of narrow alleys, staircases, and hidden courtyards all painted in blinding white limewash. The 15th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria dell’Assunzione has an unusual rose window with 24 rays. Walk the medieval walls for sea views, then eat at Osteria del Tempo Perso (Via Gaetano Tanzarella Vitale 47, mains 12-18 EUR), which serves Apulian classics like orecchiette con cime di rapa. Ostuni is easiest to visit in the morning before the midday heat hits the white walls.
Alberobello (65 km, 1 hour by car)
Alberobello’s UNESCO-listed trulli district contains over 1,500 of the conical stone huts unique to Apulia’s Itria Valley. There is no direct train from Brindisi; you can take a train to Fasano (30 minutes, 2.60 EUR) and then a local bus (FSE line, about 25 minutes, 2 EUR), but driving or joining a tour is faster. The Rione Monti quarter has the highest concentration of trulli, many converted into souvenir shops, while Rione Aia Piccola is mostly residential and gives a more authentic feel. The Trullo Sovrano (Piazza Sacramento 10, 2 EUR entry) is the only two-storey trullo and houses a small museum of rural life. Most guided day tours from Brindisi cost 45-60 EUR per person including transport. For the complete overview, visit our Brindisi travel guide.
