Ranking fifth on the list, Bari is the capital city of Puglia – the region known as the “heel” of Italy – and is fast becoming a popular holiday destination.
The city attracts visitors for its authenticity, with fewer crowds, lower prices and a slower pace of life than that found in Italy’s major tourist cities such as Rome and Venice.
Lonely Planet said Bari is currently enjoying a “renaissance that’s been a decade in the making”.
“A reinvigorated old town sets the tone, the boarded-up shop fronts replaced by family-run eateries where grandmothers dish up plates of ear-shaped orecchiette in pretty piazzas,” the publication added.
“But the changes here are more than cosmetic: cultural spaces are reopening, from the ornate Teatro Piccinni theatre to once-condemned heritage hotels like the Oriente; not forgetting the art nouveau Teatro Margherita, a former playhouse repurposed as a striking art space on stilts over the sea.
“With the nightlife better (cocktails in a former ticket office, anyone?), the streets safer and the surrounding beaches cleaner, Bari is bouncing once again.”
While there’s plenty going on in the city centre, Bari’s surroundings are just as worthy of a visit: venture out a little and you will discover picturesque beaches, fields peppered with olive groves, and the region’s famous trulli, with their trademark conical roofs.
Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall said the Best in Europe 2019 list showcases everything from cultural city breaks to awe-inspiring scenery, buzzing foodie destinations and spots to escape the crowds.
“Whether they are firm holiday favourites that have something new to offer, or places you may never have come across, these destinations should be on any traveller’s wish list,” he added.
Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe list 2019:
1. High Tatras, Slovakia
2. Madrid, Spain
3. Arctic Coast Way, Iceland
4. Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Bari, Italy
6. Shetland, Scotland
7. Lyons, France
8. Liechtenstein
9. Vevey, Switzerland
10. Istria, Croatia
