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Gravina in Puglia from Bari: the aqueduct bridge and the underground city

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Gravina in Puglia
uscorpioun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Translated from the Italian original. Facts and figures are checked on the original.

Short answer

Gravina in Puglia is 58 km from Bari, about an hour by car, and it is linked to Bari by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane line. The reason to go is the aqueduct bridge over the gravina canyon, with rock churches on the other side, and the town's underground passages. Half a day is enough: pair it with Altamura or Matera.

When to go

Spring and autumn, when the canyon is green. Late afternoon for the light on the bridge.

When to avoid

The hottest hours in summer if you want to walk down into the canyon.

Gravina in Puglia is the surprise of the Murgia. The town is built on the edge of a canyon — the gravina itself. A stone aqueduct bridge, about 37 metres high, links it to the rock churches on the opposite side.

How to get there from Bari

By car: 58 km, about an hour.

By train: the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane link Bari and Gravina. In 2026 the line had engineering works, with some sections covered by buses: check the notices on the FAL website before you set off.

What to see

In Gravina in Puglia the main sights are the aqueduct bridge over the canyon, the rock church of San Michele delle Grotte, the Gravina Sotterranea underground tours and the Cathedral on the edge of the ravine.

  • The aqueduct bridge — walk across it and look at it from below, from the bottom of the gravina.
  • San Michele delle Grotte — a large church carved into the rock.
  • Gravina Sotterranea — guided routes through cellars, cisterns and rooms dug out beneath the town.
  • The Cathedral — on the edge of the gravina, with a view over the canyon.

What to pair it with

Altamura, about 15 minutes away, for its DOP bread and old town. Or Matera, about half an hour away: a day of stone and canyons, from Puglia into Basilicata.

FAQ

Is the Gravina bridge the one in the James Bond film?

Yes: the aqueduct bridge appears in the opening scenes of No Time to Die (2021), filmed between Matera and Gravina.

Gravina or Matera?

Matera is more spectacular and more famous. Gravina is smaller, almost without tourists, and the canyon with its bridge is a different landscape. If you have a car, do them together.

Sources

Facts checked on 28 October 2026. How I check facts.

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