Vieste

Vieste is a small town on the Gargano coast which every year attracts numerous holidaymakers due to its hotel and seaside facilities which satisfy the needs of tourists: not only hotels, bed and breakfasts and tourist villages but also campsites and bungalows for the more adventurous, a close to expanses of sandy beaches and shady pine forests.

What to see

• Vieste is famous for its wide and well-equipped sandy beaches suitable for families, groups of young or elderly people who want to enjoy the summer with beach games and crystal clear waters. Of particular beauty is the stretch of beach located south of Vieste, characterized by Pizzomunno to which the legend of Cristalda and Pizzomunno is linked, also sung in Sanremo by the famous singer Max Gazzè.

• In addition to the beaches, Vieste has no shortage of historical beauties such as the Castle, built by Emperor Frederick II which stands in the highest part of the city or the 11th century Cathedral, built where a pre-Christian temple once stood.

• Another church is that of Santa Maria di Merino, 6 km from Vieste, located in a place where the remains of a Roman villa dating back to the first century BC were found: the people of Vieste are very attached to this Madonna and on May 9th they celebrate the procession of the 15th century canvas depicting the Virgin.

• For all lovers of narrow streets where you can walk and buy souvenirs, the historic center is the ideal place. The point of interest here is Piazzetta Petrone from which it is possible to admire the beautiful expanse of sea or stop for a romantic candlelit dinner.

• One of the places of Vieste nightlife where concerts or live musical events often take place is Marina Piccola, a bay from which it is also possible to observe the islet of Santa Eufemia and its lighthouse.

• Again, for museum lovers, the Civic Archaeological Museum where tomb kits and dating back finds are preserved or, again, the Malacological Museum where shells from different seas are exhibited, beautiful to visit even in the company of your children.

What to do in Vieste

There are many activities that tourists can carry out in Vieste or in its immediate nearby locations: for all explorers who want to immerse themselves in uncontaminated nature, the Umbra Forest which is part of the Gargano National Park and which extends for over 11,000 hectares of surface at 800 meters above sea level is unmissable: here it will be possible to practice trekking or excursions on foot or by bike in a dense vegetation of tall trees such as the old beech forests, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO or observe the fauna that lives in the forest, composed, among others, of deer and fallow deer and aquatic animals from the park lake. Furthermore, visitors will also be able to admire photos and other artefacts kept in the Forest Natural History Museum.

In the many areas equipped for picnics it will be fantastic to eat your packed lunch, breathing the pure forest air and listening to the singing of the many birds that are part of the local fauna or improvising a game of football with your children and socializing with the others families singing songs (perhaps with a guitar), will make the experience even more fun and unforgettable.

Furthermore, an activity that can be practiced in Vieste that will certainly not be easily forgotten is that of taking part in a fishing trip in one of the Trabucchi, wooden structures used for fishing, which further enrich the coastal scenery of the Gargano: it has been a widespread trend lately that to use the Trabucchi as scenic restaurants where you can go for an aperitif at sunset or have a lunch or dinner based on freshly caught fish.

What to eat

In addition to the natural and historical beauties of the place, Vieste also satisfies the most refined palates with excellent Mediterranean cuisine and appetizing dishes that will remain in the hearts of all those who visit the small town, to be consumed in breathtaking locations served with kindness and hospitality by the people local.

The typical cuisine of Vieste is the Apulian one with some very tasty dishes made with local products: tomato bruschetta, the inevitable appetizer, with strictly Apulian extra virgin olive oil (remember to stock up on it before returning to casa) accompanied by caciocavallo podolico obtained from the milk of podolica cows reared in a semi-wild state; excellent both fresh and in its roasted variant. Obviously, being in a seaside city there is no shortage of excellent fresh fish and cuttlefish, octopus, oysters that will brighten up any dinner accompanied by an excellent glass of local wine.

Worth trying is the fish soup called “Ciambott” which will be an excellent alternative to the famous orecchiette with turnip greens (among other things, excellent in Vieste). And for pizza lovers, the “Paposcia” cannot be missed, so called because it resembles a slipper, made with type 00 flour, water, salt, extra virgin olive oil and crescenza (natural yeast): in its original version it is topped with buffalo mozzarella, tomato and a drizzle of oil but there are different variations, all very tasty.

As for desserts, in addition to the delicious artisanal ice creams to be tasted in the cloisters and bars of the town, there is no shortage of “K’lustr“, fried folders covered in honey and almonds.

How to reach Vieste

To reach the town of Vieste, depending on the means of transport used, there are several possibilities:

• by car, for those coming from the North, take the A14 Bologna-Taranto motorway and exit at Poggio Imperiale, then continue along the Strada Veloce del Gargano to reach Peschici. Vieste can be reached via the coastal road, a road full of beautiful coastal scenery and thick vegetation.

For those coming from the South, you need to take the A14 Taranto-Bologna, then the Cerignola Est exit until you reach Manfredonia via the state road. At this point, continue towards Mattinata and then via the coast road to Vieste.

• By train, first you need to reach Foggia and then take a local bus to Vieste (Ferrovie del Gargano or Sita).

In the city, in fact, it is not essential to use a car but you can easily get around on foot or by bicycle as all services are within walking distance.