Autumn is an excellent time to visit Puglia. While the things can turn chilly and rainy towards the end of October, the weather is overall still lovely, so much so that you can't really tell that summer has actually ended. With life going back to normal for Italians, who return to work and school, you will have a chance to explore the region's highlights without the crowds.

While September and October are harvest months, one of the most interesting events you can attend to if you happen to be in Puglia around the beginning of September is not harvest related. The Challenge of Barletta is a historical reenactment of the clash that took place at the beginning of the 16th century between thirteen Italian knights and thirteen French ones, complete with heralds, noblewomen and of course, knights.

Officially, Autumn ends with November and is the time for harvesting of olives from Puglia's famous olive trees. Winter strolls in, bringing the coldest weather the region experiences throughout the year, but it’s also the perfect season if you’re traveling on a budget and don’t mind skipping the ocean swims. Christmastime sees people returning home to spend the holidays with their families, and several cities and towns put up living nativity scenes where actors recreating the story of the birth of Jesus.

If you are in Puglia in the first half of January, you might also catch the massive bonfires illuminating the night in the town of Castellana Grotte, a tradition to celebrate the city being freed from the plague at the end of the 17th century.

February is also the month of Carnival celebrations. The largest of these is held in Putignano, with a parade of incredibly elaborate carnival floats and masked groups.