Altamura's Living Cheesery — From Dairy Fire to Forest Lunch

Located in the heart of Puglia, Italy, the Puglia Cheese & Lunch Experience offers a rare glimpse into the region’s enduring food traditions and natural charm. This five-hour journey begins on a working dairy farm just outside Altamura, famed for its ancient bread and rich agricultural heritage. Here, visitors witness live cheese-making, an artisanal process handed down through generations, while savoring tastings of creamy local cheeses expertly paired with carefully selected regional wines. The farm’s tactile, hands-on approach connects guests directly to the source of Puglia’s culinary identity.

From the farm, the experience continues with a guided stroll through Altamura’s historic old town. Altamura, often known as the “City of Bread,” enchants with its narrow cobblestone streets and architectural highlights like the Monastery of Santa Chiara. Guests also visit one of the town’s oldest ovens—a cornerstone of local culture where the renowned Altamura bread is baked. A stop at a quaint bakery introduces travelers to the legendary “Tette delle Monache,” or Sospiri Pugliesi, a delicate regional pastry whose history dates back centuries. These pastries, rich with tradition, will later accompany the forest lunch, paired with the distinctive Padre Beppe Elixir liqueur, a Puglian specialty.

The final leg leads to the serene Mercadante Forest within Alta Murgia National Park, a protected natural area known for its vast karst plateaus, limestone formations, and diverse Mediterranean flora. Here at Baby Dicecca, a rustic wooden kiosk offers the perfect setting for an open-air forest lunch featuring regional cheeses and local delicacies. This peaceful spot allows guests to absorb the natural beauty of Puglia’s landscape, blending cultural and ecological richness.

What sets this experience apart is its seamless fusion of culinary craftsmanship, historical discovery, and outdoor immersion. The combination of farm-to-table cheese tasting, historic town exploration, and a tranquil forest picnic makes this tour a standout for travelers eager to connect with authentic Puglian flavors and landscapes. Whether you're passionate about food, history, or nature, this trip offers a thoughtfully crafted snapshot of southern Italy’s unique character.

Visitors often stay in nearby Bari, a lively coastal city just 40 minutes from Altamura, where they can extend their exploration of Puglia’s diverse offerings.