A riddle trail from Murat's grid into the white lanes of Bari Vecchia
The Bari scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. From the palms of Piazza Umberto I to the lovers' square in Bari Vecchia you walk only about 35 minutes, 2.5 km with 10 stops, so most of the roughly 2 hours goes on riddles and stories, starting whenever suits you.
Highlights include the Teatro Petruzzelli, the Teatro Margherita built over the sea, the Column of Justice on Piazza Mercantile, the Basilica of St Nicholas, San Sabino Cathedral and the Castello Normanno-Svevo. Bari Vecchia, the old town, is a compact maze of white stone lanes between the harbour and the sea, so it is ideal to explore on foot.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 35 min · 2.5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What you solve between Piazza Umberto I and Largo Albicocca
A lion, a rose window and a Roman road
Each stop sets one riddle, answered by what stands in front of you: the stone lion on the Column of Justice, the rose window on the white front of San Sabino, the stretch of Roman road kept under glass on Piazza del Ferrarese. Nothing in Italian needs translating, and nothing about Apulia needs knowing beforehand: careful eyes and a bit of reasoning are enough.
Sailors, a saint and a queen of Poland
Solve a riddle and Bari tells its stories: how sailors brought the relics of St Nicholas from Myra in 1087, why debtors were tied to a column on Piazza Mercantile, and how Bona Sforza grew up at the castle before becoming Queen of Poland. On a hot afternoon in the lanes, the audio narration can read each tale aloud while you stand in the shade.
From wide avenues to a maze of lanes
Google Maps leads you through 35 minutes and 2.5 km, first along the straight streets of the Murat district, then past the theatre built on piles over the sea and into the old town, where the lanes turn every few metres. The ground is flat throughout.
Focaccia on the seafront
No clock runs while you play, so a slice of focaccia by the sea or a coffee on Piazza Mercantile fits in whenever you feel like it. The game waits on your phone until you carry on, later that day or another day.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who enjoys the riddles of Bari most
A stopover between the port and the next ship
Bari is a port, and many visitors only have part of a day here. A game of about 2 hours covers the opera house, the basilica, the cathedral and the castle without a single queue.
Children who like lions and castles
A stone lion with a grim story, a theatre standing in the sea and a castle with a moat keep younger players busy. One adult should play in each team.
Pilgrims who want more than the crypt
Many come to Bari for St Nicholas, and the game sets his basilica among the squares, walls and lanes that grew up around it. It suits Catholic and Orthodox visitors alike, and anyone curious about why the saint lies here.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The route: Piazza Umberto I, the two theatres, the old town seafront, the basilica, the cathedral and the castle
10 stops · about 35 min walking · start: Piazza Umberto I Gardens · finish: Largo Albicocca
The hunt starts in the gardens of Piazza Umberto I in the Murat district and passes the Teatro Petruzzelli on Corso Cavour before reaching the seafront at the Teatro Margherita. You enter the old town at Piazza del Ferrarese, walk out to the Fortino di Sant'Antonio, then on to Piazza Mercantile, the Basilica of St Nicholas, the cathedral and the castle, and finish on Largo Albicocca. Every answer is found on stone, columns and seafront walls, which keeps you clear of ticket desks all the way, and anyone staying inside the old town can let the app open the game at the basilica or the castle and reshuffle the rest of the stops.
Open the route map ↗
1Piazza Umberto I GardensStart
This large garden square lies in the Murat district, the grid-plan new town laid out from 1813 under Joachim Murat, King of Naples. Palms shade its paths, and on one side stands the Palazzo Ateneo, the historic seat of the University of Bari.
Read the full story →
2Teatro Petruzzelli
Opened in 1903 on Corso Cavour, the Teatro Petruzzelli was built by the merchant brothers Onofrio and Antonio Petruzzelli and is one of the largest opera houses in Italy. A fire destroyed its interior in 1991, and it only reopened in 2009 after a long reconstruction.
Read the full story →
3Teatro Margherita
The Teatro Margherita stands on piles over the sea at the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and opened in 1914 in Liberty style. It is said to have been built on the water because an agreement with the Petruzzelli family stopped the city from allowing a new theatre on its land. After decades of neglect it has been restored as an exhibition venue.
Read the full story →
4Piazza del Ferrarese
This square at the edge of the old town opens onto the seafront and is said to be named after Stefano Ferrarese, a merchant from Ferrara who lived here in the 17th century. Under glass in the paving you can see a stretch of an ancient Roman road.
Read the full story →
5Fortino di Sant'Antonio
This small fort on the old town's seafront was part of the walls that once protected Bari from attacks by sea. It takes its name from a chapel of St Anthony Abbot, and from its terrace you look out over the waterfront and the old harbour.
Read the full story →
6Piazza Mercantile
For centuries this was the main market square of Bari's old town. On one side stands the Sedile dei Nobili, the former seat of the noble council, with its clock tower. In a corner rises the Column of Justice with a stone lion, where, according to tradition, debtors who could not pay were tied and publicly mocked.
Read the full story →
7Basilica of St Nicholas
The basilica was begun in 1087 to house the relics of St Nicholas, which sailors from Bari had taken from Myra in Asia Minor that year, and was consecrated in 1197. Its plain Romanesque front became a model for churches across Apulia, and the saint's tomb in the crypt draws Catholic and Orthodox pilgrims.
Read the full story →
8Bari Cathedral (San Sabino)
The cathedral, dedicated to St Sabinus, was rebuilt in Apulian Romanesque style from the late 12th century, after King William I of Sicily had destroyed the city in 1156. Look up at the large rose window on its white stone front. The crypt holds the relics of St Sabinus.
9Castello Normanno-Svevo
The castle was founded by the Normans and rebuilt by Emperor Frederick II around 1233. In the 16th century it was strengthened with bastions and became the court of Isabella of Aragon and her daughter Bona Sforza, later Queen of Poland. A moat still runs around much of it.
Read the full story →
10Largo AlbicoccaFinish
Largo Albicocca is a small square among the narrow lanes of Bari's old town. Locals also call it Piazza degli Innamorati, the lovers' square, and in the evening it fills with people meeting at its outdoor tables.
Read the full story →
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Australia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Canada –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Tour fatto con la famiglia. Bella attività.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Super leuk met de kinderen. Raadsels niet al te makkelijk maar heel interessant. Ook super toffe weetjes over de locaties
Canada –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Poland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Fabulous idea for sightseeing with kids! Great fun!
Peter– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Great fun as a family!
Lukas– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Ganz nette Rätsel, schöne Route. Nichts spektakuläres, aber schon nett. Vor allem, dass man sich Pausen etc. selbst einteilen kann
Trish– Canada –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Fun way to get the whole family involved and see the city.
Giampiero– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
E’ stato un modo diverso per esplorare la città di Bari. Oltre che divertente ho scoperto nuovi posti che non conoscevo di questa città.
Patrick– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
j’aurais aimé plus d’histoire, la découverte intérieure des lieux. les énigmes sont trop simples
Heinz– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Aktivität war gut. Die Aufgaben zu lösen waren recht schwer Schön wäre es, wenn ein gesuchtes Wort auch den Hinweis hätte, in welcher Sprache es gesucht wird
Steve– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Excellent way to take a leisurely stroll around the city. Learnt more about the main local attractions than if just wandering without the app. We took our time and had lunch along the way aswell as having a look inside the castle which was excellent, and the activity filled most of the day.
Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was exactly what we were expecting. Fun, interesting and gave us enough information about Bari. We really enjoyed it
Luke– Australia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
They are a fun way to see the city in an interactive manner, learn a bit of history while keeping the kids enjoying the sights.
Stephanie– Australia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Great riddles and good history.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Gute Fragen, nur oft mal nicht genau beschrieben aber ansonsten hat es Spaß gemacht. Die Informationen waren sehr interessant.
Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Alright information about the city and famous spots.
Bo– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
leuke manier om de stad te leren kennen! met deze route zie je ook vrijwel alle hoogtepunten van de stad.
bifi– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Fenomenal, muy simpática la Guia y muy organizado