Trani: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Trani was one of the busiest ports of the Adriatic in the Middle Ages, trading with Venice, Constantinople and the crusader states. Its wealth went into buildings of the pale local limestone, which glows almost white against the sea. This route walks the waterfront from the castle to the cathedral and the garden, then drives south to Molfetta for a second cathedral on a harbour. Two hours on foot, plus the drive; the stone is blinding at noon, so go early or late.

A short history of Trani

Trani, on the coast of Apulia, was an important port in the Middle Ages for merchants and for Crusaders heading east. According to tradition, the Ordinamenta Maris, one of the earliest codes of maritime law in Europe, were written there in 1063. In 1099 construction began on the cathedral by the sea, and in 1233 the Emperor Frederick II built the castle. A large and learned Jewish community lived in the town, producing rabbis such as Isaiah di Trani. The Scolanova synagogue, built in the 13th century, became a church after the Jews were forced to convert or leave, and only in the 2000s did it return to use as a synagogue.

The ten best sights in Trani

1
Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino
White cathedral standing alone on the sea; go down to the crypts, and come back at night when it is lit
2
Castello Svevo
Frederick II's castle on the water, a few steps from the cathedral
3
Sinagoga Scolanova
Medieval synagogue in use again; check the opening hours before going
4
Sinagoga Museo Sant'Anna
A 13th-century synagogue that is now the Jewish museum of the town
5
Chiesa di Ognissanti
Small Templar church in the old town, with a portico facing the harbour
6
Chiesa di San Giacomo
Romanesque church on the way from the castle into the old town
7
Castel del Monte
The octagonal castle on its hill, 35 minutes inland; park below and take the shuttle
8
Castello di Barletta
Big castle in the next town north, with museums inside
9
Basilica del Santo Sepolcro
Barletta church with a five-metre bronze emperor standing outside
10
Pinacoteca De Nittis
Paintings of a Barletta artist who made his name in Paris

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Tours in Trani →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Trani:

Free walking tours in Trani

Sea and stone

Chiesa di San Giacomo · Like most of the old town, the church is built of pietra di Trani, the pale limestone quarried around the town. The stone has been shipped all over Italy and abroad, and it is still one of the best-known building stones in the country.
Castello Svevo · The emperor Frederick II built the castle between 1233 and 1249, with the sea filling its moat. From the 19th century until 1974 it served as a prison, and only after that was it restored and opened to visitors.
Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino · The cathedral is dedicated to Nicholas the Pilgrim, a young Greek wanderer who died in Trani in 1094 and was made a saint four years later. Building began in 1099; its bronze doors were cast around 1175 by Barisano da Trani, and the originals are now kept inside.
Villa Comunale · Among the trees of the garden stand Roman milestones from the Via Traiana, the road the emperor Trajan built in the 2nd century to link Benevento with Brindisi. They were gathered here from the countryside around the town.
Monastero di Colonna · Benedictine monks built their monastery on this spit of rock in the Middle Ages, set apart from the town by the water. Today it belongs to the city and hosts events, and the rocks around it are a favourite swimming spot.
Duomo di San Corrado · Molfetta's old cathedral, built in the 12th and 13th centuries right on the harbour, has three domes set one behind the other along the nave. The design is rare even in Puglia and recalls the domed churches of the Byzantine east.

The Giudecca

For centuries Trani had one of the largest Jewish communities in southern Italy, and its quarter, the Giudecca, lay in the lanes right behind the cathedral. Two of its medieval synagogues still stand, one of them a working synagogue again. This short walk starts at the harbour, where Jewish, Amalfitan and Venetian merchants traded, and winds through the quarter. About an hour and a half; check the synagogue and museum hours first, as they change with the season.

Porto di Trani · Trani's sea laws, the Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris, are traditionally dated to 1063, which would make them one of the oldest maritime codes of medieval Europe. They set rules for ships, cargo and crews in the ports of the Adriatic.
Chiesa di Ognissanti · The Knights Templar built this church in the 12th century as part of their hospital, where pilgrims and crusaders lodged before sailing to the Holy Land. Its portico looks straight down to the harbour where they embarked.
Vico la Giudea · When the traveller Benjamin of Tudela passed through around 1165, he counted about two hundred Jewish families in Trani. In the 13th century the town was the home of Isaiah di Trani, one of the great Talmud commentators of his age.
Via Sinagoga · In the 13th century the quarter had four synagogues. At the end of that century, under the Angevin kings, the Jews were forced to convert, and the synagogues were turned into churches — which is the reason two of them survived at all.
Sinagoga Scolanova · For six centuries the Scolanova served as the church of Santa Maria in Scolanova, its Jewish past almost forgotten. In the 2000s it was returned to the Jewish community and reopened as a synagogue, the only medieval one in southern Italy used for prayer again.
Sinagoga Museo Sant'Anna · A Hebrew inscription inside dates the building to 1247, when it was the Scola Grande, the main synagogue of the community. After serving for centuries as the church of Sant'Anna, it now houses the Jewish section of the town's museums.

Castles and a battlefield

Inland from Trani the land rises to the Murge, a dry limestone plateau where Frederick II hunted with falcons and Hannibal won his greatest battle. This drive climbs to the emperor's octagonal castle, crosses to the field of Cannae and returns along the coast to Barletta. About 120 kilometres; give it a day and start with Castel del Monte before the heat. Bring water: there is little shade at Cannae.

Castel del Monte · Frederick II had the castle built in the 1240s as a perfect octagon with an octagonal tower at each of its eight corners. It has no moat and no kitchens, and nobody is sure what it was for; it appears on the Italian one-cent euro coin.
Canne della Battaglia · Here in 216 BC Hannibal surrounded and destroyed a much larger Roman army, killing tens of thousands of soldiers in a single afternoon. The battle of Cannae is still studied in military academies as the model of an encirclement.
Castello di Barletta · In 1503, during the war between France and Spain, a French officer insulted the Italian knights fighting in Barletta. The result was the Challenge of Barletta, a duel of thirteen Italian knights against thirteen French, which the Italians won.
Basilica del Santo Sepolcro · Beside the church stands the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue of a late Roman emperor about five metres tall. Nobody knows for certain which emperor it shows, and local legend says it was washed up from a Venetian ship wrecked off the coast.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore · Barletta's cathedral was begun in the Romanesque style in the 12th century and extended later with a Gothic east end, so two styles meet under one roof. It stands at the edge of the old town, a few steps from the castle.
Pinacoteca De Nittis · Giuseppe De Nittis was born in Barletta in 1846 and moved to Paris, where he exhibited with the Impressionists and painted the city's boulevards. He died there at 38, and his widow left his paintings to his home town.

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Getting to Trani and getting around

Trani Station · On the coast line, about 40 minutes to Bari; ten minutes' walk to the cathedral
Bari Airport · The nearest airport, about 40 minutes by car down the coast

Cheap eats in Trani

Trani eats from the sea and the bakery: raw shellfish at the harbour, focaccia and panzerotti in the lanes, and bread from the ovens of the nearby town of Altamura. A quick lunch is a slice of focaccia or a panzerotto for a few euros. Prices are well below Tel Aviv, rising on the harbour front.

Panificio Oriente · Focaccia by the slice in the old town, about 2-4 €
Squisipizza · Pizza by the slice and panzerotti, about 2-5 €
Pechef · Quick bites near the harbour, about 5-8 €
Baguetterie · Filled baguettes to go, about 5-8 €
Los Cornetteros · Filled cornetti for breakfast, about 1.50-3 €
Bianco Yogurt · Frozen yogurt for the walk, about 3-5 €

Museums in Trani

Sinagoga Museo Sant'Anna · Jewish museum in the medieval Scola Grande
Castel del Monte · The octagonal castle, a UNESCO site since 1996
Castello Svevo · Halls and exhibitions in the restored castle
Pinacoteca De Nittis · Paris scenes by a Barletta painter
Canne della Battaglia · Small antiquarium and the ruins on the hill

Nature and day trips near Trani

Villa Comunale · Shady seafront garden with a view back to the cathedral
Parco Naturale Regionale Lama Balice · Limestone ravine park near Bari airport
Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo · Seafront rocks for a swim
Monastero di Colonna · Sunset over the sea from the rocks
Grotte di Santa Croce · Prehistoric cave in the Bisceglie hills

Holy places in Trani

Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino · Cathedral, crypts and the 59-metre bell tower
Sinagoga Scolanova · Medieval synagogue used for prayer again
Chiesa di Ognissanti · The Templars' church by the harbour
Chiesa di San Giacomo · Romanesque church of Trani stone
Duomo di San Corrado · Three-domed cathedral on Molfetta's harbour

Where to eat in Trani

Corteinfiore · Seafood dinner in a courtyard in the old town
Antiche Arcate · Dinner under stone vaults near the cathedral
Rosa dei Venti · Fish restaurant above the harbour
Osteria Caccianferno · Osteria near the cathedral square
Buca Navarra · Small place in the lanes behind the cathedral
Gallo · Restaurant on the harbour front

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Frequently asked questions about Trani

What is there to see in Trani?

The top sights in Trani are Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino, Castello Svevo and Sinagoga Scolanova. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Trani?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Trani without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Trani?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Trani, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Sea and stone.

How do you get to Trani and get around?

The main ways are Trani Station and Bari Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Trani, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Trani that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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