Relax on the beach, give it all in Lecce

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There are so many cities full of art in Italy that it’s impossible to take in consideration all the smaller towns when planning a travel… But if you are looking for a new destination  to discover there’s one that you don’t have to discard. Above all if you are planning to spend good time on the beach in south Italy, far from the renowned Rome, Florence, etc. but still you want to make an excursion to a nice city where there’s a bit more of action at night  than in your relaxing seaside resort… This place is named Lecce. In the south of Puglia, the heel of the boot, Lecce is a city that no one expects.

Surprising by virtue of a beauty for long remained hidden, rediscovered in the last years through the long wave of the revitalization of the sea tourism of Salento, Lecce today enjoys an unprecedented visibility.
The stone churches of the old town, above all the Duomo and Santa Croce, the Roman ruins, the nightlife in the evening between the curls of Baroque and the constant smell of coffee and pasticciotto are the snapshots of a land that will remain in the memory. The poet Vittorio Bodini defining Lecce a "Carnival of Stone" took the hallmark of the city. Baroque Lecce in fact is a feast for the eyes and has a specific peculiarity: the stone with which many works were realized. It is a light-colored and calcareous material known with the name of Lecce stone. 

The greatest example is definitely the Basilica of Santa Croce, in the heart of the old town of Salento, that merged the former Celestine Convent. A few steps from Santa Croce there is the most famous square of Lecce, the square of St. Horace, which houses a beautiful Roman amphitheater.The other gem is the Cathedral of Lecce, where in the evening the atmosphere is magical. The historical center is surrounded by the various doors that protected the ancient city, of which the most beautiful is Porta Napoli, located in the universitarian district.

The presence of a university gives the city a very young and international mood, that makes Lecce also active at night, both in summer and winter.

If you want to rent a car to explore Lecce and its surroundings click here to book it online with Autoeurope!