Welcome to Alberobello

A wonderful city for its Trulli structures, friendly approachable people, and a reasonable HQ for visiting other hilltop cities and the valley (olive oil, wine). Hikes, bikes, Quads (ATV's to Americans) - touring outside city can be found. Rather easy walks all around town. Endless food options. Nothing is really that far away in Alberobello. The concentrated area of Trulli structures has become a tourist mecca, comprised of B&B's and shops. It's not like people live in these Trulli's anymore, but still, it's an intriguing historical experience, especially when explained by a knowledgeable local. For the experience itself, Alberobello could be covered as a day trip, if you are moving though the region looking to stay elsewhere. I attended the TrulliSchool (easily found online) which was a mix of language learning "lite" and very interesting city tours. In 2 weeks, we covered 9 towns in the 13 afternoons, after spending mornings in classroom sessions. For those interested in a great orientation to the region of Puglia, this program is a good option. If you are excited by the opportunity to be with people from a variety of countries, this school might offer it, depending on who signs up. If you are interested in more serious language skill development, there are other alternatives that may better fulfill you learning needs. When the group size is "regular" (6-12 people), this touring/language lite itinerary could work well. Our group was 20 - too many for this kind of program. After school activities (dinners, etc.) for 10 of the 13 nights were left up to the students, and typically was a highly fragmented situation with ever-varied groups (husband/wives, people who already knew each other, etc.) moving at times in their own directions. The majority of time not spent in school activities reverted back to English, or German, in the case of 4 of the attendees. Unless it was self-created, there was no Italian language practice outside the classroom. It's a tourist town - English is the universal tourism language. The program offered housing options - hotel room, live in a Trullo, or stay in an "apartment" - nice choices all, depends what works best for your personal situation. Students' living arrangements were spread out, not concentrated in a small area of this small town. The Trulli structures that I entered (housing for fellow attendees) were charming but smallish, with kitchenette feature. I didn't see the "apartment" option, but one student was spoiled by the owner with wonderful meals! Hotel (mine was Hotel Silva) had excellent room size, big bathroom, great attention by the staff - a family-run operation. If in Alberobello, I would certainly recommend Hotel Silva. Wherever you go, if in a group, I suggest you find out how big the group size will be, and feel confident your personal interests can be achieved. Suggest you are clear in your mind the kind of "adventure" is desired - touring, general learning, language