Bari, the capital of the Puglia region, is also known for being the city where the relics of St. Nicholas rest. Therefore Bari and its Basilica are one of the favorite centers for the Orthodox Church in the West. Bari has a solid merchant-entrepreneurial tradition and has always been a strategic point for trade and political-cultural exchange with Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Its port is the largest passenger port of the Adriatic Sea. The city overlooks the Adriatic Sea for a length of about 40 km, between the municipalities of Giovinazzo, to the north, and Mola di Bari, to the south. The shape of the city is often described as an eagle with its wings spread out, whose head is the small peninsula on which the first urban nucleus, Bari Vecchia emerged. The city is characterized by a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters, hot and dry summers. In the central and coastal part of the city there is an abbundance of buildings with particular architectural beauty; in addition to ancient military buildings such as the Norman-Swabian Castle and the medieval Watchtowers set along the coast. Bari is an easily accessible city with an airport, a port, a train station, connected with the major cities. From Bari there are buses and subway stations that effectively connect all the surrounding areas and cities.