The commitment of the Apulia Region has been a driving force behind the progress of the project, together with the support of the ‘Brindisi e le Antiche Strade’ association (Brindisi and the Ancient Roads). The hostel will become an important accommodation provider for the increasing number of travellers and pilgrims that choose the Via Francigena of the South as their destination.

The techno-economic assessment of the former Youth Hostel in Brindisi was approved after the nomination of the property by the Municipality of Brindisi as part of “TheRout_Net – Thematic Routes and Networks“. This project is funded by the Interreg V-A Greece-Italy programme 2014/2020, a European Cross-Border Cooperation Program for the enhancement of slow tourism. Through this program the Brindisi Youth Hostel project was awarded €820.000 from the Apulia Region.

The planned activities are part of a larger program put in place by the Apulia Region. The aim of this program is to create and improve a regional path network; to define a common identity and a common plan for the promotion of regional tourism; to execute the planning and construction of more and better infrastructural works; to restore and prepare structures to be used for accommodation and hospitality; to promote slow tourism and historical-cultural paths.

The Youth Hostel is situated in a strategic location between the connecting routes to Bari and the Brindisi city center, not far from the Salento Airport and in front of the former “Tommaseo” Marinara Academy.

It is important to underline that the project includes several plans aimed at overcoming architectural barriers, a topic that the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways cares about a lot because we believe that the Via should always be accessible to all.