Palm trees and benches line the pedestrian shopping street Sparano da Bari, which sports Gucci, Nike and Benetton. There's a spiffed-up and well-lighted waterfront park and public beach, and the centro storico — old Bari — is a colorful residential neighborhood in the heart of the busy commercial city.
Be sure to visit the Church of St. Nicholas, an Orthodox Catholic church and major European pilgrimage site where the relics of St. Nicholas were brought from Turkey in the 11th century.
You could make your way to Lecce, but there are many pretty little towns along the coast north and south of Bari. You'll need a car — it might be worth renting one for a day or two and exploring.
