Monopoli

Monopoli  is a town and municipality in Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Bari and region of Apulia.

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The town is roughly 156 square kilometres (60 sq mi) in area and lies on the Adriatic Sea about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Bari. It has a population of 49,246 (2014) and is important mostly as an agricultural, industrial and tourist centre. The city, lying in the south of Italy Mezzogiorno, enjoyed a certain economic development during the 1960s, thanks to the opening of a Tognana (an important Italian ceramic manufacturer) industrial plant. The closure of this plant in the end of the 1990s certainly worsened the city’s economy; Monopoli’s economic recovery in the latest year has mostly been due to new industries (the most important is the MerMec, which produces railway material) and the development of tourism, especially in the coast and the countryside.

Access : Coordinates: 40.95, 17.3 / Monopoli can be easily reached by car or train. Bari is the closest airport / train interchange. Bari Airport to Bari Train station takes approx 30 minutes and the train from Bari to Monopoli takes approximately 30 minutes. Monopoli old town is within walking distance of Monopoli train station.
Get around :
Walking is without any doubt the best way of visiting the old city and its tightened and tangled roads. Although a car could be necessary if you’re going to visit the coast or the countryside. From June to August a bus service connects the train station to the beaches in the south of the city.

Highlights :

• Charles V castle  /  Port /  Old city  /  Church of S. Domenico
• Sea and beaches /  Basilian underground churches and villages
• Spanish manors

Activities : Go to the beach! There are plenty of small beaches (both free beaches and beach clubs) within walking distance south of Monopoli

Go next : Alberobello / Brindisi ( you can take a ferry to reach  Greece ) / Grotte di Castellana / Polignano a Mare / Lecce / Taranto