The tranquil seaside town of Gallipoli lies along the western coast of the Salentina Peninsula (the ‘boot of Italy’) and consists of a modern area on the mainland and a historic town on an island just offshore. The new town boasts plenty of tourist services, attractions and interesting modern architecture like the ‘Glass Palace’ (also known as “The Skyscraper’). The Old Town is filled with heritage sites. The enormous Medieval castle, originating in the Byzantine era, features the remnants of a drawbridge, a salt warehouse and a wonderful museum. Other significant monuments include a large 16th-century Greek fountain decorated with stone carvings, the atmospheric 17th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria del Canneto, as well as numerous gorgeous historic churches and cathedrals, and a few alluring, picturesque fishing ports flanked by ancient buildings.