The lively Italian city, once a mafia stronghold, now dazzling tourists

It wasn't so long ago that parts of the southern port city of Bari were a mafia stronghold but now thanks in part to a group of no-nonsense nonnas and an anti-corruption mayor, the capital city of Puglia is enjoying something of an Italian Rennaissance.

And with flights from Gatwick, Stansted and Edinburgh, on Easyjet, Ryanair and British Airways, it has never been easier to enjoy a weekend break in this lively Southern Italy city by the sea. Cheap flights to Bari in March and April start at £42 with Ryanair.

Temperatures in April in Bari are a pleasant 18C rising to 30C in August and being southern Italy expect long dry summers.

Bari’s beach attracts sunworshippers and water sport enthusiasts alike. The most famous beach in the city is Pane e Pomodoro, an absolute must for sea-loving Bari natives right on their doorstep. Continuing south, you come across Torre a Mare and Mola di Bari with their mostly rocky coastlines.

In the city centre you can find Norman fortifications and ancient passageways, and elegant 19th-century boulevards to get your Italian designer shopping fix. There is also a luxury shopping outlet and vintage store alongside the obligatory Prada and Gucci.

Then there is the famous Bari promenade, one of the most beautiful in Italy, overlooking the clear sea and the longest in the country.

Near the port, Bari Vecchia is a  beautiful maze of limestone walls crammed with tiny churches and sprawling basilicas.

A tour of the old Bari Vecchia is the perfect opportunity to get stuck into the heart of this Apulian capital. The San Nicola district spans between the two ports of Bari, the old and the new, overlooking the seafront. The historical centre of the city, dating back to the Middle Ages, is encircled by walls and dominated by the Norman-Swabian Castle, one of the icons of Apulia.

Near the old town port you will see queues of locals waiting for a generous slice of Puglia’s traditional tomato-topped focaccia, with the longest queues at Panificio Fiori and Santa Rita. Stalls heave with fruit, vegetables and little twists of baked dough called taralli.

Perhaps the most Italian sight of all is Bari’s most famous residents — the nonnas — who sit at tables outside their houses, expertly making and selling pasta - the local pasta is the Apulian orecchiette.

Foodies can embark on the Bari Street Food Walking Tour through the alleyways of the historic centre, sampling the typical Bari street food enjoyed by the locals.

But for children visiting Bari, the most important thing to see is surely the basilica of San Nicola. It is the spiritual home of Santa Claus and was built in the 11th century after the body of Saint Nicholas was taken from Myra in Turkey.  Below ground in the crypt lies St Nick’s remains.

Other attractions on the tourist trail are the Bari Archaeological Museum, housed in a 16th-century convent. There you can explore excavated Roman ruins and artefacts.

Italia.It  also advises: "When it comes to planning a tour of Bari's unique sites, we suggest the Russian Church in Bari, the only Orthodox church in Western Europe. It was built at the behest of Tsar Nicholas II, with the foundation stone laid in 1913.

"The Arco delle Meraviglie “Arch of Wonders” in Bari is another must-see for romantic travellers: legend tells of two young lovers hindered by her disapproving family, but brought together by an idea from his family. One night, they built the arch so they could go between their windows, bringing these lovebirds closer together.

"Finally, the Rock Church of Santa Candida, considered the largest Rupestrian church in Apulia, is well worth a visit."

And if you are in Bari for a little longer James Bond fans may wish to visit the nearby tiny town of Gravina in Puglia where the latest James Bond film No Time to Die was filmed, about an hour away by car and an hour and half by train.