The charming hilltop citadel city of Ostuni, in Italy’s southeastern Puglia region, is the solution for a problem travelers to Europe are increasingly contending with: crowds. Though Ostuni’s population swells in the summer—and there will be fellow travelers aplenty, too—it’s on a different level from the shoulder-to-shoulder sightseeing of Rome, Florence or Venice, where tourism feels more plague than boon for visitors and locals alike.
“Ostuni is unique because it combines an extraordinary landscape and historical beauty with a very contemporary cultural energy,” said Vito Palumbo, CEO of Tormaresca, a winemaker in large part responsible for modernizing and elevating the reputation of Puglian wines. “It still feels deeply authentic, yet naturally open to international music, art and creativity.”
