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With so many stunning places to visit in Puglia, you will be happy to know that you can squeeze all the essentials of Lecce in one day and even get a taste of the local food scene, and this itinerary will show you how!
Puglia, the Southern heel of the Italian boot, is full of charming towns sprinkled throughout the olive tree-covered landscapes. Still, Lecce is one city I was told multiple times—and by Italians—that I simply could not leave without seeing.
So I knew I had to fit it into our Puglia itinerary.
Often nicknamed “The Florence of the South” due to its artistic and cultural heritage, Lecce is a favorite city among Puglia visitors, with its stunning Baroque architecture and the city’s golden hue provided by the use of local limestone.
Don’t let yourself be fooled by that nickname thought, the city feels more like a town when compared to Florence; small, charming, walkable, and easy to explore in one day.
While being a mandatory stop when roadtripping the southern region of Italy, Lecce is also a great spot to add to any itinerary, even if you don’t have a car, due to its convenient central train station and direct trains from Bari.
So, whether you are driving through for the day or visiting from another town by train, here is how to see the best of Lecce in one day, featuring unmissable Baroque churches and unique local eats—a must in my itineraries.
Tick all the boxes with one tour!
To see—and taste—the best of Lecce in one day, you should consider this street food tasting and walking tour of Lecce.
I did this on my first morning in Lecce, and it was the best introduction to the city before spending the next days leisurely wandering around, and revisiting all the main spots we did on the tour.
Check availability here:
The Best of Lecce In One Day: Baroque Beauty And Local Eats
If you would rather explore Lecce at your own pace, then this one-day itinerary will help you plan the perfect day, featuring the unmissable Baroque churches and delicious local treats you need to try!
Start the day right: Breakfast at Martinucci
If we are trying to see the most of Lecce in one day, there’s no time to waste, and even breakfast can be used as an opportunity to dive into the local culture.
When asking locals and tour guides what people have for breakfast in Puglia, and specifically in Lecce, the unanimous answer was pasticciotto.
Pasticciotto is a little breakfast pastry consisting of a dense and buttery shortcrust pastry—it reminds me of cookie dough—filled with custard, traditionally, but you can also find some fun variations of it.
If I’m honest, I was not too convinced by the look of it at first, but after having my first one, I was hooked!
While you will find no shortage of this pastry in almost every bakery in town, one of the best places to have your first pasticciotto is at Martinucci Laboratory, a renowned local bakery specializing in these sweet treats.
So grab yourself a little pasticciotto—the classic one is my favorite—and a cappuccino to start your day the way locals do.
PS: If you get as obsessed with them as I am, you are in luck, as you can find them in different cities across the country, so you are never left pasticciotto-less.
Explore the central Piazza Sant’Oronzo
Since the popular Martinucci bakery is conveniently located in the heart of the city, from here it’s easy to start our day of exploring Lecce at Piazza Sant’Oronzo.
Piazza Sant’Oronzo is the heart of Lecce, and while I don’t think it’s the prettiest spot in town, it’s definitely an interesting location where you get to see the city’s different eras all in one place.
You’ll find everything from simple fascist-era buildings and a small but beautiful Baroque-style church, to a Renaissance hearing room, a Roman column from the 2nd century with the city’s patron saint on top, and the unmissable Roman Amphitheater.
Close to the Sant’Oronzo Column, on the floor, you will also find the “Mosaico della Lupa,” a tile mosaic depicting a she-wolf, representing the city’s coat of arms—a city staple that has become a sort of superstition.
Our tour guide mentioned that it is believed to be bad luck to walk across the mosaic, so much so that students will completely avoid walking over it during exam week.
While there are so many elements to admire in this piazza, the square is quite small, and it will only take you a couple of minutes to see all of these.
Check out Lecce’s Roman Amphitheater
An unmissable element of Piazza Sant’Oronzo is the well-kept remains of Lecce’s Roman Amphitheater.
This impressive amphitheater was built in the 2nd century, but what’s almost more impressive is the fact that no one had any idea that it was there up until 1901(!) when construction in the area was underway for city projects.
Needless to say that whatever they wanted to build had to be put on hold.
While we now know there’s a whole amphitheater down there, only one-third of the structure is visible today, with the rest of it still underground.
This “smaller” amphitheater—when compared to the Colosseum—could fit between 12,000-14,000 spectators, and was built using the local Lecce stone, the same used to create the baroque masterpieces on the churches in town.
Swing by the Porta San Biagio
After admiring all the elements of Piazza Sant’Oronzo and the amphitheater, slowly make your way down the small streets of Lecce to stop by the Porta San Biagio, or Gate of Saint Blaise.
This Baroque-style city gate is one of the four original gates in Lecce, and it used to mark the southern entrance point to the city.
Nowadays, there are only three remaining gates in Lecce, with this one being the prettiest one in my opinion.
The gate was built, like most Baroque things in the city, using the local limestone, which is why you can see some of the porous stone losing shape in some areas.
Take in the details at the Church of Saint Matthew
From the Porta San Biagio, leisurely make your way through the city, admiring the picturesque small alleys, until you arrive at Chiesa di San Matteo, Saint Matthew Church.
Chiesa di San Matteo is one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in the city, and one not to be missed while spending a day in Lecce.
Carved out of the local Lecce stone, the facade is decorated with scales, flowers, seashells, and carved out niches left empty due to the lack of budget by the end of the project, according to our local tour guide.
The use of the local limestone also means that if you get to visit the church during golden hour, you can see the cream-colored facade of the building turn golden under the direct sunlight—it’s beautiful!
⭐️Baroque tour in Lecce pass:
If, besides admiring the beautiful Baroque facades, you would also want to visit the inside of the most beautiful churches in Lecce, then you might want to consider the Baroque tour of Lecce pass, which for €11 gives you access to:
- Antico Seminario e Museo d’Arte Sacra
- The Duomo
- Chiesa di San Matteo
- Chiesa di Santa Chiara
- Basilica di Santa Croce
Visit the charming Church of Santa Chiara & its little Piazza
Next up, another Baroque beauty you cannot miss while exploring Lecce in one day is the charming Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Church of Santa Chiara.
Located at the center of a charming piazzeta by the same name, this Baroque-style church stands out with its carved columns and decorated niches.
My favorite element about this church is the little pizza in front, which provides a picturesque spot to take the time under the shade of the trees to admire the intricate elements of the church facade.
In true main character fashion!
Wander through Piazza del Duomo & visit Lecce’s beautiful Cathedral
After strolling around Santa Chiara’s cute little square, make your way to Piazza del Duomo to admire Lecce’s imposing cathedral.
Lecce’s Cathedral is another example of the city’s beautiful Baroque architectural style, with columns carved out of the local limestone and intricate elements decorating the facade; such as flowers, plants, and angels.
Here you will also find a papier mache workshop, a technique the city is known for—if you are lucky, you might even get to see the craftspeople at work outside the shop.
If you have time, make sure to stop back at the Piazza del Duomo later in the evening, when the square is all lit up and the local families are out for a stroll.
On your way to the Piazza del Duomo, make sure to stop at the picturesque Piazzetta Raimondello Orsini. There’s not much to do, but this little corner of Lecce looks straight out of a postcard, especially with the bell tower in the back.
Lunch time: Antica Pucceria Giannone dal 1941
If you only have one day to explore Lecce, then trying the local flavors in every meal is a must. So for lunch, head over to Antica Pucceria Giannone dal 1941.
Antica Pucceria Giannone dal 1941 is a small local shop selling “Puccia” for over 80 years now, a local street food from the Salento region, specifically from Lecce.
This beloved street food consists of a round flatbread filled with veggies, meats, and cheese, kind of like a Southern panino.
I ordered “La Salentina” with prosciutto, cheese, and fig jam, and it was delicious!—the perfect light lunch on a busy day of exploring Lecce.
Another great option for a quick lunch is to stop by a bakery and get yourself a Rustico Leccese, a local round puff pastry filled with béchamel sauce and tomato.
If you want to try both, but can’t fit them in the same day, both the puccia and the rustico leccese make a perfect road trip or train snack, so you can pick one up for the road on your way out of Lecce.
Pop into the shops along Via Giuseppe Palmieri
Since Lecce is so small, my favorite thing to do here is to aimlessly wander around town and just stop whenever something catches my eye, whether it is the intricate details on buildings or a cute local shop.
From modern curated stores featuring unique clothing brands to small shops selling colorful locally made ceramics, there are so many charming local businesses to explore, especially along Via Giuseppe Palmieri.
According to our local guide, Via Giuseppe Palmeri is the main street where locals will go on the weekends for a passeggiata, a leisurely walk.
So while in Lecce, do as locals do, and walk up and down this street where you have a high chance of finding the perfect souvenir.
Like these adorable cacti ceramics, which I would have definitely bought had I had any luggage space.
Cool down with a caffè Leccese at Caffè della Lupa
Even with only having one day in Lecce, there are plenty of local specialities you can fit into your visit, and one of my favorite ones, that I think you should try, is the refreshing caffe Leccese.
Caffè Leccese is the perfect summer drink—espresso on the rocks with a touch of almond syrup, which gives it such a sweet taste. So even if you aren’t normally an espresso drinker, I think you could like this one.
If you’ve ever had a carajillo before, it tastes similar but without the alcohol—it’s so good!
You can order this local drink at any cafe, bakery, or gelateria, but my favorite one I had during my stay in Lecce was at Caffè della Lupa.
Don’t miss the Iconic Basilica di Santa Croce
If there is one thing and one thing only that you have to see in Lecce is the incredible facade of the Basilica di Santa Croce.
While Lecce is known for its stunning Baroque architecture showcased in its churches and around the city, for me, Basilica di Santa Croce is the most beautiful Baroque church in Lecce.
With an extremely intricate facade full of texture and detail—from wild animal statues, flowers, fruits, angels, and even a cheeky self-portrait of the artist—you can spend hours just staring up at it.
The church is so intricate and such a prized possession of the city that during WWII, they built a brick wall around it to guarantee its survival.
If you can, make sure to visit again at golden hour to see the stunning facade turn golden under the sun.
Stop by the Historic Porta Napoli
Another spot to visit in Lecce while walking around the city for a day is the imposing Porta Napoli, a triumphal arch from the 16th century.
Porta Napoli is another one of the city’s main gates that used to be in the city walls, before some of them came down or got incorporated into the urban buildings.
This triumphal arch was built in anticipation of a visit from Charles V, which is why you can see the Spanish coat of arms on it.
Aperitivo that turns into dinner at Mamma Elvira Enoteca
Lastly, to make the most of exploring Lecce in one day, slowly wander the streets to make your way back to the city center until you find Mamma Elvira Enoteca.
Mamma Elvira is a small local chain with three restaurants and an enoteca in Lecce that offer homemade local dishes, as if made by your own Apulian mom.
The Enoteca location is the perfect spot for aperitivo on their outdoor tables, with a glass of wine in hand—maybe try a local, such as a Primitivo or Negroamaro—and see this lively street come alive as the sun sets.
The beauty of Mamma Elvira Enoteca is that aperitivo can easily turn into dinner with their tasty food menu—it’s so good that I did this two days in a row.
I ordered their tomato crostini and loved it, so I had the same the second time around, but they also have lasagna and some eggplant rolls filled with local meats and cheese that look amazing!
Final thoughts on Lecce in one day
While Lecce was recommended to me over and over again by almost every Italian I asked for Puglia places to visit, I was happy to see that it is very accessible to visit and explore within one day.
I ended up staying three days in beautiful Lecce, as I was looking to have a small, slow holiday by myself, and loved wandering around the picturesque town leisurely.
After the first day, it was easy to feel familiar with the place, which I loved!
I revisited places and stopped by to admire the stunning Baroque churches multiple times; however, as previously mentioned, you can easily do all of this in one productive and yet slow-paced travel day—my favorite kind!
Hope you found this post on seeing the best of Lecce in one day useful as you plan your Puglia itinerary.
Where are you most looking forward to visiting in Puglia? Let us know in the comments, we are always looking for inspiration for our next trip back to Italy’s heel.