Photo: Tango7174 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lecce
Golden baroque streets and the Salento's beaches.
The 'Florence of the South': a honey-coloured baroque city of wildly carved church fronts, with a Roman arena in its main square. Warm, easy-going and a base for the beaches and towns of the Salento.
Places to see
Piazza Sant'OronzoSight · The main square, with the saint's statue on a Roman column and the sunken curve of a…Free- Basilica di Santa CroceChurch · The masterpiece of Lecce baroque: a front crawling with carved animals, fruit, cherubs…≈ A$19
Lecce CathedralChurch · A cathedral in an enclosed square that feels like a stage set, with a 70-metre bell tower…Free
Palazzo dei Celestini
When to go
- Jan13° / 5°Often wetQuiet
- Feb14° / 5°Often wetQuiet
- Mar16° / 7°Some rainQuiet
- Apr19° / 9°Some rainBusy
- May24° / 13°Some rainBusy
- Jun29° / 17°Mostly dryBusy
- Jul32° / 20°Mostly dryBusy
- Aug32° / 20°Mostly dryVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
The old town. Baroque churches in honey-coloured stone, the Roman amphitheatre and the evening passeggiata.
Around the station. A short walk from the old town, with cheaper rooms.
Flying in
Brindisi (BDS): Shuttle bus to Lecce, about 40 min, ≈ A$16.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Lecce; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
You can walk everywhere. A single ticket is ≈ A$2. The old town is compact and walkable. Buses and the Ferrovie del Sud Est trains reach the Salento's beaches and towns (check).
Tourist tax
Lecce's city tax: usually about €1.50–2 a person a night in hostels and B&Bs, more in hotels; under-14s don't pay. Paid at check-in (check).
Day trips
Bari, about 1 h 30 min by fast train. A seaside old town and pilgrims' basilica.
