Hotel Ostuni Palace

Visible for miles around, Ostuni is a gleaming tumble of painted buildings and dramatic brick-built palaces, perched almost entirely on a steep hilltop. Ostuni’s whitewashed centro storico lends the town its second name as the ‘White City’ of Puglia, and there are few places as atmospheric found anywhere else in the region. Most visits begin with a walk through the old town, towards the mighty duomo towering high above the Puglian plains. It’s a steep ascent, but one that’ll take you through some of the most magical of Ostuni’s streets: think white-walled passages with uneven floors and pretty cafes tucked into sheltered courtyards. The views at the top are well worth the climb, and the beautiful 15th-century cathedral with its 24-pane rose window is quite a sight, too.

The town’s bar and restaurant scene is richly authentic, with quaint trattorie serving local favourites such as orecchiette – a small, ear-shaped pasta that’s generally eaten with vegetable-based sauces and often served alongside a handsome house red. For true wine connoisseurs, one of the local wine tours is a must-do, taking visitors into some of the region’s finest wineries.