We spent a long weekend in Vieste in the Puglia region of Italy. Vieste is one of many towns in the Gargano National Park. It is right on the coast with beautiful sandy beaches, and its old medieval town center spills down the hillside to the sea.
one of the beaches
the lighthouse
fishing boats in the marina
a trabocco – a traditional fishing pier which is common along the east coast of Italy, nets are hung from the pier to catch schools of fish as they swim by
The town has a population of 14,000 people, and it is relatively compact in size. However, based on the sheer number of hotels, B&Bs, and camping resorts plus the number of restaurants and pizzerias, I imagine it gets crazy with tourists in July and August. I’m glad we visited in May when it was relatively quiet.
one of the staircases from the lower town going up to the upper town
the original entry portal into the old town, looking back into the new town
a side street in the old town with hanging plants for decoration
a piazza in the old town with a full moon on display
And this is a monument to a sad story. Turks invaded Vieste in 1556, raped the women, took the men as slaves, and slaughtered everyone else (elderly, women, children) at this rock outcropping.
The weather was bright and sunny with a cool breeze during our trip. We alternated between walking and walking and walking and just sitting and enjoying the views.
snacks with a view
the sea at sunset
I would definitely go back and do it all again.
and then I loved this painting on the facade of a children’s clothing store
and this one…