Who said exploring Bari can’t be… exciting?
If the Center and Bari Vecchia are the right place to immerse yourself in the history and traditions of our city, those who want to discover the most irreverent and underground side of Bari cannot help but visit the Carrassi district!
Just over ten minutes away from the glittering shopping streets of the center, the unstoppable and rebellious spirit of Bari’s alternative scene can be encountered among the streets of this neighborhood.
Squatted military barracks, skate parks, murals, pubs and even a bunker dating back to the Second World War: it only takes a few hours to let yourself be overwhelmed by the underground energy of Carrassi.
Our Free Tour The Jungle was born to restore the cultural richness of this part of Bari, which too often is not included in the more traditional tourist itineraries.
But we are not afraid to go outside the box and take you for a walk in the Bari alternative scene!
Load yourself with enthusiasm and curiosity: we’re about to go exploring our urban jungle!
The alternative scene of Parco Rossani
Our electrifying adventure begins not far from Bari Central Station.
After carefully crossing the ferocious traffic of the Estramurale Capruzzi, we come out in front of the gate of a park full of greenery and joy: the brand-new Parco Rossani.
The Parco Rossani is the result of the long redevelopment project of the areas belonging to the former Rossani Military Barracks, closed in 1991.
Inaugurated in March 2022, the Rossani Park has returned to our city the huge spaces of the former barracks after an abandonment that lasted almost 30 years.
With its vast flowerbeds, cycle paths, dog walking areas and above all its fantastic skate park, Parco Rossani has become the meeting point of the young generations of Bari.
Among skaters, crowds of readers, craft and second-hand markets, this is the perfect place to discover the younger and more carefree Bari alternative scene… or to be taught some extraordinary skate tricks!
The heart of the Bari alternative scene: Via Buccari
We say goodbye to the vast spaces of the Parco Rossani and continue our journey by entering the streets of Carrassi.
After a few minutes of cheerful walking, we arrive in an internal street surrounded by condominiums and wide sidewalks.
It would seem like a common residential street, but just wait for the sun to go down to see crowds of young workers, university students and students arrive: two pubs raise their shutters and immediately a cheerful shouting, music and warm greetings spread: this is via Buccari, the center of Carrassi’s alternative nightlife.
Favorite place for the evenings of Bari youth between 18 and 99 years, via Buccari has established itself as the beating heart of Bari nightlife thanks to the informal and welcoming atmosphere of pubs such as the Marrakesh Evolution and Storie del Vecchio Sud, open since 1996.
Between beers, glasses of wine and live folk music, via Buccari is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the jovial spirit of the city by spending an evening of friendship and fun!
And it is precisely on via Buccari that another unmissable stop on our The Jungle tour overlooks: Parco Gargasole.
Located exactly behind the Parco Rossani, the Parco Gargasole is a virtuous example of civic engagement.
Here we do not find the concrete infrastructure typical of many public parks. In their place, amidst the lush spontaneous vegetation, we meet ordinary people who take care of this garden with love and enormous dedication.
A meeting place for adults, young people, and children, the Parco Gargasole has become famous for hosting real “barter squares”: every last Sunday of the month the space is filled with stalls full of food, clothes and books ready to be donated or exchanged, all without the use of money!
A unique and exceptional reality that demonstrates the strength of the countercultural and alternative initiatives proposed from below.
A dive into the past: the historic Enoteca De Candia
Like true explorers, we continue our journey of discovering Bari alternative scene by moving towards one of the most sensational stages of our Free Tour The Jungle.
We continue along via Buccari, leaving the youthful nightlife behind us, and we reach a place where we are transported back to the historic past of Bari: we have arrived at Enoteca De Candia
Inaugurated in 1924 by Giacomo De Candia, the Enoteca De Candia has been the center of Bari traditional wine trade for almost a hundred years.
An unmissable place to savor fine local wines, in the foundations of its building is hidden an anti-aircraft bunker from the Second World War: an authentic piece of history that you can visit together with us during our Free Tour The Jungle!
The Ex Caserma Rossani Liberata: the alternative scene of Bari between political activism and underground culture
After our stop in the past, we conclude our journey in the jungle of Carrassi reaching the Ex-Caserma Rossani Liberata .
Squatted military barracks and place of activism, the Ex-Caserma Rossani is another virtuous example of civic engagement in redeveloping public spaces.
In the spaces of the former Rossani military barracks, decommissioned in 1991 and abandoned to neglect, a pole of alternative culture has come to life, carried forward by the strength of Bari’s activism.
Since 2014, the year of the occupation, all the buildings of the old military structure have been transformed and returned to the community.
Now the Ex-Caserma Rossani Liberata is a huge open and self-managed park, home to a popular gymnasium, a concert hall and very important political and civil awareness initiatives.
Decorated inside and out with gaudy murals, the Ex-Caserma Rossani is also a veritable open-air museum of Bari and international street art. Not to be missed is the vast mural that graces the exterior of the structure created by Elìas Taño, street artist of international renown.
All we have to do is to sit down and chat with the people make this place come alive, listening to the stories of their battles and their ideals.
Our journey into the alternative Bari jungle ends right here, but we at Free Walking Tour Bari are always ready to leave for another exploration!
What are you waiting for? Come and discover the thousand souls of Bari with us!